Summer
by Mr. Aanonymous
Summary: It's a grand old city. A shining metropolis next to nature. One with a thieves' guild. Monsters. Hauntings. Villainous mad scientists. Maybe even aliens. Who knows? All we do know is, Total Drama for all!
1. Sweet Leaf

Summer

Chapter 1- Pilot

It was a beautiful late summer morning. The sky was a clear blue, the sun was high and bright, and the birds were chirping. Below was the city park and it proved popular this day. With parents bringing their children to the playground, joggers making their rounds, owners bringing their dogs to catch Frisbees. Even couples young and old came for some quiet alone time together.

One such was a couple of artists who were silently having a picnic together with not a word between. The young guitarist Trent was sitting at that table tuning his instrument on the bench while his water bottle along with his ham and cheese sat on the table. In front of him, Gwen was leaning against the tree doing her best to doodle him on her sketch pad.

"CAAHH!"

Gwen looked up from her sketch pad and saw a Raven divebomb on top of the picnic table, taking off with Trent's half eaten sandwich. As it did, Gwen also saw Trent dive off the bench and on to the ground. His guitar on the table and an opened water bottle in its place, spilling it all over his face as he landed.

"Ha-haaa haha." Gwen laughed, kicking her feet wildly off the ground and into the air. "Y-you okay?"

"Uh-huh." Trent answered, turning over to his girlfriend and finding her giggling at him. Though unbeknownst to her, the young musician could also look up her skirt from that angle and see her magenta colored unmentionables. Shaking his head and sitting up with a blush he coughed. "Y-yeah, I-I'm just fine. Didn't see that coming."

"Cheer up handsome." Gwen teased as she got up and walked over to him, helping Trent to his feet. "Your dating a goth. Might be a good sign."

"Hope your right." Trent smiled before looking off at where the bird left. "But it took my lunch and flew off."

"Well, I'd never do something like that to ya." Gwen smiled before kissing the young musician. "But if I did I'd take more than a sandwich."

"I hope that's true or I'd better be one hell of a sandwich." Trent joked with Gwen chuckling at him as he pointed at her sketchbook. "How'd the drawing turn out?"

"Oh-no, its not ready."

Gwen shook her head. But that didn't stop the musician who started reaching for it. Gwen, her smile still beaming, turned away from him with her foot on his gut to push him away. Trent had just enough reach to almost make it. Just as he grabbed it both artists lost their balance and fell to the ground, the musician landing on top of the sketcher before both started rolling down a short hill. When they stopped the doodler was on top of the guitarist with him the victor, spoil in hand.

"I got it." Trent teased, his arm stretched out waving it in front of her out of reach.

"G-give it." Gwen demanded as she kept reaching it in a giggling fit. To get closer the sketch artist climbed up the musician's body she was on top of. Still laughing, Gwen soon noticed that Trent had stopped waving the book around.

"Ah-hem." Trent coughed. "Uh, I'm pretty sure we can't do this in the park in broad daylight."

"Huh?" Gwen asked as she looked down and saw her boyfriend's face directly below her chest. Gwen almost laughed as she saw this because to her it looked like Trent's gorgeous green eyes were hovering above the center of her bra cups in her shirt and his nose right in-between. Gwen grew a naughty smile she leaned down and kissed his nose. "Bet you wish this was night right now."

"Heh-heh." The guitarist nervously laughed as Gwen flipped off of him. Helping the blushing musician up to his feet again both walked back to the table as Trent opened the sketchbook. Seeing this Gwen grabbed for it again only for Trent to playfully slap her hand away. "Hey hey, I won. Don't be a sore loser."

"Meh." Gwen playfully stuck her tongue at him as he found the sketch. Trent chuckled a bit when he saw that the sketch was a blocky rectangle version of him sitting on the bench with his guitar like he was before, only shirtless with a six pack.

"Its good." Trent nodded, handing it back.

"Wait till its done. I'll also get you sweating triangle bullets and all shiny with a hexagon sun in the background." Gwen joked, them both sitting down. "I'm not good with curves."

"That's just your style. But see if you can draw me with a rectangle triple guitar and a triangle goatee. Maybe a block eye-patch?"

"Don't know about the eye-patch but the rest, sure." Gwen laughed, before she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. As Gwen pulled it out Trent rolled his eyes, guessing as to who it could be. "Sorry, that was Duncan. Its almost my shift at work and he's gonna drive me."

"Gotta say, can't wait till I get my car so I can do that."

"Or I get a car and take you to work… you know when you get a job." Gwen playfully jabbed Trent's side before she put her book into her bag on the bench. Gwen stood up and turned to the nearby sidewalk. "Now as much as I _love_ talking about a Disney love moment with a fantasy car, I gotta wrap it up."

"Wait," Trent nervously pleaded, picking up his guitar. "I-I got a new song for you. While you wait I can play it for you."

"Heh, you really got the whole adorable musician thing down." Gwen shrugged, a smile on her face. "Sure, I've got some time."

"Its all part of the charm."

"Well, better get on with it." Gwen chuckled. "Duncan'll be her any minute."

"Say no more."

Trent nodded as he began playing his guitar. It was soon followed by the young musician's singing. Gwen quickly found herself lost in the tune. While the doodlist's ears were in heaven from the music and the lyrics, Gwen's eyes weren't far behind. Thanks to the raven startling him earlier, half of Trent's water bottle covered him. Making his hair, face, and the front of his shirt all wet. The light of the summer sun reflected off of it and his shirts cling to his body. Gwen licked her lips as all of Trent's muscled physique shined through to her along with his song.

"AAAWWWWW."

Gwen instantly turned to her side and saw a small flock had snuck up around the artist and were standing with her in front of Trent, all staring at him. Looking around Gwen noticed a few from school along with a few others, but she couldn't remember their names.

One had long brown hair in a pony tail with pink pants, one had long blond hair with a blue bandanna and orange miniskirt, a couple of girls with the same black and white striped outfit and pigtails but were best described as big and skinny. A girl bowl hair cut and glasses with a teal shirt. Another couple of girls wearing brown sweaters and horn rimmed square glasses. Anoth-

"EEEEE!" One cheered. "Do another song. Do another song."

"Uh..." Trent answered as he looked at Gwen's blank face in the crowd. But before either could do anything both heard a loud horn coming from the street behind them.

Gwen barked out a laugh as she shrugged before waving good by to Trent. Trent grew a lop sided frown as Gwen raced off to Duncan. Glaring as Gwen grabbed Duncan's backup helmet and hopped behind him on his bike. The glare grew colder as he saw Gwen wrap her arms around Duncan's waist and drove off down the road.

"Please oh PLEASE, sing us another song!" A girl pleaded before the rest cheered. Trent simply shrugged before awkwardly picking up where he left off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**I stand alone!**_

 _ **I'm no hero and I'm not made of stone!**_

The lyrics blasted for all to hear as a 1990 Grey Ghost fatboy motorcycle drove down the Boulevard. Passing by the multiple cars and vans in traffic and in motion, along through the lanes. But always with care, as while the motorcycle had two passengers and fully loaded saddlebags, not once did the two wheel road beater ever get close to the other vehicles.

Soon enough the motorcycle broke off and slid down a side road with old and worn brick buildings on both sides. Many with old blinking neon signs. Shops, bars, apartment buildings. Even an abandoned gas station. All leading up to where the road broke off into a fork, one leading around back to the boulevard, the other to an old brick and beam building with chipped red and brown paint.

In-front of it was the only sign on the street that wasn't in neon but carved wood and matching chipped red paint with a large rust colored leaf on the top, reading Maple cinema. At its side was a large paved parking lot half full with vehicles and more roving in. Some were heading to the waffle house on the other side but most were heading toward the Maple cinema entrance.

The motorcycle cruised between and past the parking lot and the cinema into the smaller gravel parking lot behind. The back parking lot had a few cars in it with the motorcycle sliding in-between an old rusted red sedan and a faded moss green mini-van.

 _ **I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell**_.

 _ **The wrong side of heaven and the righteous side,**_

The lyrics roared as the rider perfected his parking with his feet as he shifted his gaze from behind to the front. Flipping over the kickstand a young man with a pierced face unfastened his helmet, silently announcing to the world his bright green mohawk, as he shut off his bike.

 _ **The righteous side of hell!**_

The motorcycle's speakers roared before they shut down.

"We're here." Duncan smirked as he looked up at the decrepit building in front of them, handing his helmet off of his right handlebar. "Nice place." 

"Yup, and you should see the inside. Its like termite mardi gras in there." Gwen joked as she slid off Duncan's spare helmet. The sketch artist shook her head to get rid of the helmet hair as she handed it back to her driver. "You do _not_ wanna use the bathrooms here."

"Remind me again why you work at this dumb place?" Duncan asked as he slid it in his right saddlebag.

"Well for starters," Gwen laughed as she playfully punched Duncan's arm. "I don't have to lie about where my money comes from."

"Fair enough." Duncan shrugged. "Just hope you don't get termite hep when they make you clean the toilets."

"Ohhh, that sounded so wrong. Don't put that thought in my head. The only time this place doesn't give me nightmares is when they put on the slasher flics." Gwen cringed before she slid off the bike and pulled out a small green wrap from her pocket. "Hey, speaking of...ah."

"I was wondering when you'd ask..." Duncan nodded as he reached into his left saddle bag and pulled out his lunchbox.

"That's an interesting place to hide it." Gwen tilted her head and raised her eyebrow as she saw Duncan slide off the lid and open a secret compartment at the bottom.

"You'd be amazed at how often this works." Duncan answered as he pulled out a small zip-lock before handing it to Gwen for her small wad of cash.

"You gotta tell me that story later." Gwen said as she slipped the zip-lock into her pocket. As the sketch artist bent over to get into Duncan's saddlebags, the rider himself turned back around to the front and pulled out his phone. Taking out a red T-shit and a matching red vest, both with a Maple cinema logo. Gwen put them both on over her usual black top and teal undershirt before turning over and catching her friend smiling down happily at his phone's screen. Though Gwen couldn't see what it was showing. "Thanks for the ride."

"Hmmm?"

"Duncan? Earth to Duncan." Gwen asked, poking the Juvie's shoulder.

"Huh, what?" Duncan asked, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Sup?"

"Just say'n thanks for the ride Dunk."

"You're welcome, pasty." Duncan joked as he pulled out his keys and grabbed his helmet.

"Hey, wait. I've still got time left before my shift starts. Wanna hang out in the staff lounge for a bit?"

"I'm actually late already for something. My old man wanted me to help him study for his re-qual..." Duncan answered before he shrugged, tossed his helmet back on the handlebar and slid off his bike. "So yeah, I got no where better to be right now."

Gwen snorted in laughter, giving her friend a fist bump as they both walked in the back door of the old movie theater. Walking through the hallway, both could see that it wasn't quite as bad as the outside had implied. The old tile floors were a bit dirty and chipped. But the walls were fully painted with faded red and brown vertical stripes. And the ceilings had fresh fluorescent lights. Though the water fountain they walked passed was very dirty and clearly hadn't been used in a long time. If it even still worked at all.

"Soooo, what's it like working here?"

"Pretty chill, actually." Gwen shrugged. "The only snacks we give out comes from an old popcorn machine and all the soda dispensers are in the lobby. Its almost a do nothing job... besides cleaning up the bathrooms and theaters after the movies."

"Running a second rate movie theater outa renovated opera house. No one expects much from ya." Duncan nodded. "Nice perk."

"How'd you know it was a renovated opera house?"

"The back of the sign still says 'Maple Operas'." Duncan explained. "I see it every time I leave after dropping you off."

"Huh, never noticed. But meh, its far from perfect." Gwen shrugged, opening a door and walked in with Duncan behind her. "My co-workers are annoying as hell and my boss? Bit of an uptight dick."

"Sounds familiar."

"Should, he kinda reminds me of you-know-who."

"Well if that's true, you're working in hell." Duncan teased back, playfully jabbing her in the side. "Good thing you're not. Otherwise you and everyone else who works here would be painting the outside or de-bugging this place yourselves. Probably right now."

Gwen admittedly nodded as she walked passed her friend to the folding chair next to the table. Kicking her feet up to the one next to her, Gwen pulled out her phone as she saw Duncan examine the room. Delinquent or not, Gwen couldn't help but smirk seeing how much Mr. Thatch hammered in those detective habits. But the sketch artist wasn't sure how much there was to examine, as it was a small room for an average building.

At the far end where Gwen was sitting was an old warn round table with a few rusted steel folding chairs and a few bottle caps here and there. The table itself was the only piece of furniture in the room, not even any microwaves or mini-refrigerators. Just a counter with a few cupboards nailed into the upper side of the wall with an empty garbage next to it. The table itself had a few scorch marks, with an old playing card deck in the middle next to an ash tray.

"Uh, Pasty?" Duncan asked, playfully pointing to the table. "Are you guys doing anything here that I'd like to know?"

"Aside from the movies? Don't think so." Gwen answered as Duncan sat across from her. The delinquent held up one of the beer caps to the sketch artist before turning his head to the her bottom left next to the wall. Gwen looked down and shrugged as she saw it was just an empty plastic waste basket. "Some time every week we'll find new bottle caps. What, think some homeless guy is squatting here sometimes?"

"Nah-uh." Duncan smiled as he walked over to the cupboards. Opening them one by one.

"What are you doing?"

"If I'm right..." Duncan mumbled as he opened another few cupboards before tugging on one handle that wouldn't budge. "Ah-ha! This one won't open. Any reason why its locked?"

"You sure the shrink at your juvie was wrong and you're not pathological?" Gwen joked as she saw Duncan's hungry looking grin disappear as he stuck his tongue at her.

"Ah, shut up."

Duncan dismissed, his grin returned as he shut all the other cupboards. Gwen rolled her eyes playfully, plugging her headphones as she saw the punk walk over and grab the small waste basket next to her. But the moment Duncan touched it they both heard talking coming toward the room. By instinct alone Duncan rolled shoulder first on the ground toward the far wall and jumped into the larger tin garbage can. Gwen held in a laugh as she saw a small cloud of dust gust out of it when he did.

"Dumb-ass."

"Have I ever told you my great aunt Milly invented spray tan?" Gwen bit her lip as she slid on her headphones as the door opened to the lounge. The first through it was a girl with brown hair tied back in a red bow that matched her maple cinema vest. Staci was a bit of a heavy girl that even her zip-up pink and sweater and purple sweatpants couldn't hide. "Yeah, before that everyone smeared themselves with clay."

"Huh, I once built a tower out of nothing but a sunflower and a eyelash of a dragon." Gwen squinted as Leonard of all people came in behind her. The 'wizard enthusiast' was thankfully walking around like a normal human today, with just a pair of brown skinny jeans and a green T-shirt with a shining yellow ring under his uniform vest. Though he was still wearing the same ugly patched up green gnome cap. "The cloaking spell it gave off hid me from an army of enemy orcs."

Gwen rolled her eyes as the two chatterboxes sat down across from her. The sketch artist turned up the volume to try and drown them out. As she did, Gwen noticed the tin garbage can moving a bit. The doodlist grew a smirk as she pretended to stretch out her legs before she started tapping her foot against the can to the beat of her music. Gwen's smirk only deepened as she imagined the look on her buddy's face.

"It was then that our party encountered a vicious umber-colossus." Leonard narrated before he pulled out a twisted stick from his pocket and twirled it in the air. "Luckily I had enough mana to banish it with a displacement spell."

"My great-great-great-great-great-great aunt Phillis invented roofs." Staci announced as she checked invisible boxes in-front of her. Gwen herself just continued to tap her foot on the garbage can with neither even noticing as she listened to her music. "Yeah, and before her homes were just walls and furniture. So whenever it rained people had to buy new couc-."

Gwen noticed the two chatterboxes suddenly stopped. Turning over, the doodlist saw a tall man in a pressed black suit with an actual stylized nametag pinned to it. Gwen pulled out her earphones as she read her boss's name spelled out in calligraphy.

"Guys, guys, guys." Josh clapped briskly before looking down at his watch. "Okay, the morning is over so the lunch rush is about to start. Staci, your up selling tickets- And don't even start. I hear so much as a peep about one of your family's 'stories' _you'll_ be the one on toilet duty for the rest of the week. Now Leonard, you're in theater A with the old timey classic. No dang shadow puppets this time. Gwen, you've got theater B with the latest costumed crowd pleaser. Try not to fall asleep. Everyone else is already where they need to be. You got five minutes."

Gwen tried not to roll her eyes as she saw her boss snap his fingers at them doing his latest 'I'm-in-charge' glare. The doodlist leaned back into her chair putting one of her earphones in as she saw Josh leave.

" _Experiamu_ -"

"Enough!" Duncan growled as he stood up in the tin garbage can. Instantly Staci fell out of her chair from the surprise and fell on the dirty floor and a cloud of dust gusted into the air. Gwen couldn't help but burst into laughter, both from the frustrated look on Duncan's face and the fall. "Will both of you stop your squawking."

"Ahhhh," Leonard gasped. "the legends are true."

"What?" Duncan asked the funny hatted nerd before shaking his head and turning to the doodlist.

Gwen answered him with a shrug before the delinquent hopped out of the tin garbage can. As Duncan walked back to the table, Gwen saw Staci stand back up. But as she tried to sit back down gwen kicked the chair out from under her. Staci once again fell flat on the floor with a loud thump, a cloud of dust gusted into the air.

Both goth and punk exchanged smiles and fist bumps at the prank before Duncan picked up the smaller waste basket, turning it over on the table. A small key fell out, landing right on the worn deck of cards. The delinquent grabbed the key and unlocked the last cupboard.

"Ah ha-What?" Duncan asked as he pulled out a small basket filled with mini-skittles, starbursts, and candy bars. Gwen laughed at the sheer astonishment and surprise on Duncan's face. "Oh come on. Poker chips, money, a six pack sure. But who locks up candy?"

"He's a master of a key that unlocks hidden treasure." Leonard whispered. "I thought it was all just a game forum myth."

Both goth and punk look at each other again. Gwen stuck her phone and earpieces into her pocket as Duncan sat the basket on the table. The sketch artist gave the punk a look as he tossed the chatterboxes bits of gum before he took a handful of the candy himself.

"What are these for oh magical one?" Leonard asked in awe as Staci crawled on top of her chair from the ground. Rubbing her head.

"Its so you two dipsticks'll be too busy chewing to talk. For everyone's sake." Duncan answered putting his own candy in his cargo pocket as he walked to the exit. The sketch artist grabbed her own handful from the basket as she saw Duncan pull out his phone as he opened the door. "Well Gwen, its been 'magical' but I'm out. Prince-"

"Gwen," Staci said as she unwrapped the gumball. "I thought I told you this. The one place you don't bring your boyfriend is the lounge."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"Doo, doo, doo-" Gwen sang as she opened the door to the booth. The doodlist took a deep whiff as she flipped the switch and cringed at the rotted smell as it burned through her nostrils. The florescent lights flickered but only one stayed on. The sketch artist bit her lip looking into the room. Shaking her head as she spotted the same old to-go bags, empty soda bottles, beer cans, wrappers of all kinds littered the floor. What part of the carpet Gwen could see was dirty and full of grime. "Doo..."

The doodlist shrugged setting her phone to flashlight mode to help her see in the poorly lit room before walking over to the old and worn wooden desk at the end of the room. Turning on the desk lamp, Gwen checked the time before she looked out the large window. To the goth artist's surprise she saw that there was a larger crowd that afternoon.

Gwen even saw her own little brother and his group of friends in the stands. Gwen smiled, rolling her eyes at this as she hit the switch for the theater, turning on the projector and playing the previews. The sketch artist was hit with surprise again when she heard the crowd's cheering. Even her little brother's excitement from waving his hands in the air.

"Dumb-asses."

Gwen shook her head, dropping her bag on the ground, as she sat in the broken down swivel chair next to the desk. The sketch artist leaned back as she kicked up her feet on the desk, her combat boots knocking over a few old beer cans to the ground. The bored doodlist blew at her hair as a clip of the latest full CGI kids movie played before she took out her phone.

" _Bridge u free_ "

" _Yup. What's happen'n?_ "

" _Shift started. Bored. Gonna sleep soon_ " Gwen bit her lip sending the text with a sleeping emoji.

" _Same. Can't. Too bright. Getting a tan._ "

" _Only_ _one_ _I know_ _that dont spray on_ " The doodlist laughed with a sun emoji, but the goth coughed from the odor of the room. " _can't sleep. Smells bad. Garbage all over_ "

" _HA_!" Bridgette returned with a sun emoji. " _U could clean it up. U got time._ "

" _I'd rather find Josh's stash_ " Gwen shrugged, sending the test. " _Got 1 in every room._ "

" _Never saw him as a junky. Thought he was a gambler type._ "

" _Duncan did point out the poker table and deck in the lounge_."

" _Dunc. Tell me u r not buying from that lowlife again._ " The doodlist tried not to roll her eyes when she saw the disappointing face emoji as she began typing. " _Tell him_ _I_ _'m running low_."

"Ha." Gwen laughed erasing what she wrote. " _I'll tell'em. How's life guarding?_ "

" _Same lake. Same red onesie. Same single shift. Still bored._ " The lake-watcher sent with a thumbs down emoji.

" _I find the stash I'll toast to you._ " Gwen laughed with a beer mug emoji. The doodlist waited and stared at her screen but had no response from her water loving buddy before sighing. " _Bridge? Bridge. Ollo?_ "

The goth artist sighed as she slid the garbage off the desk best she could with her foot before setting her phone down. Reaching over Gwen pulled out her sketch pad and ripped out an old blocky landscape doodle, laying it on the desk. After ripping it in half, Gwen pulled out the small zip-lock from her pocket. Rolling it up Gwen saw her phone vibrate next to her. Thinking its the surfer, the doodlist shrugged while putting the smoke in her mouth and pulling out a lighter.

The doodlist kicked her feet back onto the desk, leaned back, closed her eyes and relaxed as she took a deep inhale. Opening her eyes, Gwen looked through the window and saw a concrete wall of a warehouse burst open in a firey rage before a giant robot roared out shooting lightning. The gothic sketch artist coughed out a few smoke filled chuckles at the over the top scene. The doodlist was caught off guard a third time when a muscular guy in metal and spandex flew through the same wall, the crowd cheering at the sight.

"Meh-ha. Dum-dums." Gwen shook her head as she picked up her sketch pad again and opened up to her doodle from earlier. The doodlist started tracing in a blocky eye-patch when she heard a knock on her door. The doodlist coughed as she nearly fell out of her chair before she caught herself, fear and panic climbing up her spine. Grabbing one of the many empty beer bottles off the ground, Gwen stuck what remained of her smoke inside. The doodlist fumbled as she heard another knock on the door. "One second."

"Gwen, Gwen its me."

"Trent?" The doodlist looked at the door surprised. Gwen quickly sighed in relief, the feeling of panic fading as she set the bottle down on the desk. Her sketch pad sitting on top, blocking the smoke. The doodlist whipped off the grime from her hands best she could as she walked over and opened the door. "Come in."

"Gwen I- wow, oh. Th-that really hits you all at once." The musician cringed, his nostrils burning as he breathed. The doodlist tilted her head as she saw Trent's eyes watering a bit.

"Yeah, you get used to it after a while." The doodlist explained, grabbing his arm and gently pulling him in. Gwen poked her head outside and sighed in relief again as she saw no one, but mostly from the clearer air. The doodlist closed the door and asked. "Trent?"

"I've never been in here before." Trent said as he looked around, kicking a crumpled up beer can to the nearest pile. "Why's it so bad?"

"No one wants to clean. How'd you even get here?"

"I took the bus." Trent shrugged before taking a deep inhale. The doodlist could tell he was trying his best not to cringe. "Phew, uhhg. Anyway, I came to apologize. You know how _weird_ it got at the park. Didn't wanna do it with a text."

"Trent, its fine. You're a cute musician. I like your songs. Shouldn't be a surprise other girls like'em too."

"Thanks." Trent smiled as he saw Gwen walk up to him.

The musician couldn't stop staring at her beautiful teal colored smile, right up until her lips were on his own. The musician wrapped his hands around the doodlist's waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. Gwen soon felt Trent's hands slide down from her waist to her behind. Gwen flinched as she felt his hands squeeze her through the denim. Blushing, the doodlist opened her mouth and licked her tongue against his lips, which quickly opened. The doodlist quickly felt something hard poking against her. Sadly for the couple, they were soon out of breath and forced to stop.

"H-heh heh, I-its dark in here." Gwen pointed out, nervousness creeping up her spine as she wrapped her left foot around Trent's foot ankle, pulling him toward her. "Do- do you wanna finish what we started in the park?"

"Uh, y-yeah." Trent nervously nodded. From what little light there was Gwen could see her boyfriend was blushing hard. "I-I, yes."

"G-great." Gwen pecked him on the cheek before letting him go and kicking some wrappers to the corner. "Lets try to make some room."

"And so we don't catch polio and whatever else is in this carpet." Trent answered as he took off his backpack and pulled out the same blanket from the picnic. "I still got this. I'll have to burn it after but it died for a good cause."

"Yeah it did." Gwen kissed him again as she kicked more stuff to the side. After laying down the blanket best they could, the doodlist saw Trent flinch and stiff up as she slid off her vest. Gwen could feel her face heat up as she pulled her red theater shirt off and tossed both to the desk. Now in just her normal clothes, Gwen folded her hands behind her back, stuck out her chest to Trent, and rubbed her knees together as her whole body heated up and some sweat dripped down her face. "W-when d-did it get so h-hot in here?"

"R-right?" Trent nervously laughed before he grabbed his shirt collar and slowly pulled it off.

The doodlist's own eyes doubled in size as she saw Trent's abs and arms. Gwen found herself frozen stiff as Trent walked over to her, wrapped his hands around her waist again and started kissing her. The kiss heated quickly as Trent's hands slid south again while Gwen wrapped one arm around his shoulder while her other felt up his abs up to his chest. But soon after Gwen wrapped her leg around Trent's knee the artists lost balance and fell back on the blanket.

Shaking her head, the sketch artist found that they thankfully didn't land on the carpet, and looking back she was still on Trent. With Gwen on her side on top of Trent's left leg, his hand now further down to her thigh. But she soon felt something large and hot shake against her chest. Looking down Gwen saw that Trent's face was against her breasts, even feeling his nose in her cleavage. But the doodlist yelped in surprise as she felt him lick her breasts. Pushing herself up, one hand on his chest the other covering the spot Trent just licked.

"S-s-sorry." Trent squeaked, his face beat red and eyes squarely on her chest. "I-I got caught up in the moment."

"I-its okay." Gwen squeaked back, adjusting herself so that she was straddling Trent's waist. Gwen could feel herself blushing even harder as she felt Trent's bulge. Taking a deep breath, Gwen grabbed the bottom of her shirts before slowly pulling them off. Leaving the pasty sketch artist in nothing but her teal bra from the waist up. "I-I, I'm caught up in the mo-"

"O-oh m-m-man." Trent stammered, flinching under the beautiful half-naked doodlist sitting on him. "I-I'm sorry. Its j-just that you're so pretty."

"Its okay. I-I'm flattered." Gwen nodded standing up, her face still red. Rubbing her knees together as she helped Trent to his feet. "May-Maybe we're not _quite_ ready yet."

"Yeah, yeah maybe." Trent sighed, his hand over his crotch, his eyes looking from Gwen's face down to her breasts and back. "I finished. You didn't. Maaaybe let me pay you back?"

"S-sure." Gwen stammered before giving Trent another quick peck and then another. Of course it quickly turned into kissing. Trent's hands went straight to Gwen's behind. His left started rubbing while his right started squeezing. The sketch artist hummed from the feeling and the confidence Trent had. The musician started trailing kisses down her neck. "Ohhh."

Gwen felt the musician as he kissed further and further down until he was at her chest again. The doodlist licked her lips as she felt him unzip her skirt, leaving her in only her underwear and leggings. Gwen wrapped her hands over Trent's head as she felt one of his hands slide around to her front and into her panties. His hand rubbing against her wet hot core, Gwen pulled his head tight against her chest as he started kissing back up.

The doodlist bit her lip as she felt the musician slide a finger into her before slowly moving in and out. Gwen rubbed her knees together as Trent kept sliding his finger and his palm rubbing her higher before the doodlist came. Letting out a small moan from the pleasure as she released the musician's head but still held onto him to keep her standing. Gwen moaned again as she felt the musician's wonderfully gifted fingers slide out of her. Soon Gwen came down from her high, stood up on her own and pulled Trent close for one last kiss.

"That was wonderful."

"Thanks. Being honest. First time doing that."

"Well, you got talented fingers. We all knew that." Gwen said pulling her skirt back on. "Wanna watch the rest of the movie? Only one chair."

"Sure." Trent smiled before walking over and taking a seat. Gwen smiled too as she put on her theater shirt before sitting in his lap. Both facing the screen. "Not bad."

"I'm about to make it better." Gwen said as she took out her smoke from the beer can. Gwen happily smiled as Trent lit it for her with his lighter as his other hand wrapped around her waist again. Taking a swig, Gwen looked at her old sketch from earlier on the desk. "You look good with an eye-patch."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" _Horrendous fragrance reversus!_ " Leonard chanted, standing on his desk, waving his twisted wand in the air toward the piles of garbage in his room before pulling off the clothespin from his nose. "Did it work? Did it work? Did it work?"

The nerd's question was instantly answered when he took a breath and gagged, his nostrils burning. After hacking out a green chunk the LARPer put the clothespin back on his nose.

"Of course it didn't work. I have no wizard tower to enhance my spells. I must try again. _Horrendous fragrance revers_ \- What am I thinking? This puny wand has not the mana for this task. I require my high Elvin wood robes and emerald forest staff."

Leonard announced as he bent down on his desk, reaching over the side for the cabinet handle. But the moment he grasped it the professional nerd fell over, landing on a pile of grimy dust filled wrappers and cans. After shaking his head the nerd groaned distorted as he placed his wizard cap and fake beard where they belonged. But not a moment later Leonard crunched up in the fetal position as he saw a bright spark engulf the room before a loud crashing sound fallowed, glass spewing everywhere. After a few moments of silence the nerd peaked through his fingers and found the room pitch black. Taking out his phone and setting it to flashlight mode, Leonard chanted.

" _Illuminus_."

Leonard looked around the room and found not five feet from him that the florescent light had fallen from the ceiling and smashed on the floor. Looking up, Leonard found a hole where the light used to be. Walking over, the nerd found some leather bound square leaning against the hole. Curious, Leonard picked up one of the many empty beer bottles and tossed it at the mystery treasure.

" _Ale blast!_ " Amazingly the bottle hit its mark, knocking the mystery treasure loos before falling back to the ground. Leonard managing to dodge it before the bottle landed and breaking apart like the light-bulb before it. The wizard laughed at the broken glass, proud of his physical prowess, before the mystery treasure landed right on his head. Knocking him to the ground. "Ouchie."

Rubbing the back of his head, Leonard looked down at the leather bound object. With the light from his phone, Leonard found that it was a book of all things. Opening the leather strap, Leonard saw nothing but a blank page before inkblots began to form and shape into letters. A single word appeared.

"Oh my gosh. Oh-my-gosh. Ohmygosh. _Excelsior!_ "


	2. Mermaid In The Night

Summer

Chapter 2- Mermaids in the night

Headphones in her ears, duffelbag on her back, Bridgette road down the sidewalk on her Ten speed from the housing docks. The gray lake to her left. Colorful and bright shops, stands, even a themed restaurant or two on her right. At the top of the slope, Bridgette could see one of the hot dog stands sitting there. Its attendant had a familiar green maple leaf on his white shirt.

"Bridge! Bridge, grab for it!" Owen happily yelled as he stuck out his arm in her path, hot dog in hand. The surfer took up the challenge and as she got closer to the stand the surfer held out her hand, ready for the prize. But the second her hand reached Owen's own, she slapped it loose and into the air. Bridgette made one last ditch attempt to grab, but simply knocked it away with nothing but mustard to show for it as she cruised on. "Ohhh, missed it by _that_ much... oh well, no reason to let a good dog go to waste."

Bridgette sighed as she grabbed hold of her handlebar, doing her best to ignore the yellow condiment as she picked up speed from going down hill. While she enjoyed the wind and adrenaline, Bridgette hit the breaks as she neared the stop light. After waiting a bit Bridgette turned and peddled to the other side of the street, making it to the gas station. Looking around, Bridgette saw Courtney tying a large sign for a car wash to a post next to the entrance. Her sister right behind the C.I.T. writing on a clipboard.

"Hey Court, Elly." Bridgette greeted as she kicked her bike's stand out.

"You're late." Courtney greeted back as she finished tying the not, _tight_.

"Actually," Ellody answered, flipping a few pages on her notepad before looking at her watch. "Bridgette is right on time. A few minutes early in fact."

"Thank you Ellody." Courtney rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry Bridge. Just had a crappy morning."

"What happened?" Bridgette asked, to her surprise her usually talkative friend stayed silent and just squinted off into space before shrugging back. "Okay, now I'm really interested."

"Courtney's breakfast dinner date was canceled." Ellody answered, reading off the chart on the clipboard. The younger sister was oblivious to the glare she was receiving from Courtney.

"You met someone."

"Maybe."

"I'm happy for ya." Bridgette smiled. "But why was it a 'breakfast dinner date'? That's not a thing. Were you nervous about the guy?"

"The 'BDD' was to convince him to run errands for Courtney today while we did the car wash. Specifically because he'd be so sleepy and tired he'd just agree to it without thinking." Ellody answered, thoughtlessly reading off from the paper on the clip board. "The real date was going to be at the party. 1st, after finishing car wash and secure the money, spend at least an hour to look good for the party with the new bikini. 2nd, show up fashionably late but still early enough to make him feel guilty. Third, show off new bikini and how great you look in it. Fourth, spend some time talking to him to get to know him more and push him for why he canceled. Fifth, play party games with him against B and G. Better introducing him to your friends and imply that you want to be a couple with him. Now, sixth-"

"Ellody, please skip to the end." Bridgette blinked. "Don't keep me in suspense."

"Okay,-"

"Ellody." Courtney whispered, biting her lip.

"The last thing on the schedule and the paper is that the last hour of their time at the party, Courtney will take him back to her car and-"

" _ELLY SHUT UP!_ "

In near complete bewilderment, Bridgette turned to her friend and saw her face was almost beat red from blushing as Courtney looked between her frightened sister and Bridgette herself.

" _Wow_." Bridgette laughed, still bewildered. "Y-you really do write down everything don't you?"

"I-I-I- um," Courtney stammered, her face still red as she twiddled her fingers. "I'm just trying this guy out. Its not serious."

"Courtney, its new." Bridgette smiled. "Its not supposed to be serious. Just have fun. But ah, little piece of advice. Don't put everything on schedules and manipulate him like that. Good way to piss off or scare people away."

Courtney simply sighed as she walked off toward the hoses and buckets behind them. Bridgette shrugged before she tied up her bike to the same post as Courtney's sign. As she did, Bridgette noticed Ellody writing on her clipboard before turning toward her sister.

"Ellody wait." Bridgette pleaded. "Did you do all that to help or just be funny?"

"Bridgette Merrow, while I am quite whimsical, Courtney made me promise to stop putting 'stupid puns and dumb jokes' in the itinerary." Ellody explained. "Besides, aside from deciding the specific type of hoses and soaps its all I'm allowed to do."

"Wait, what about that last part?"

"Oh, I chose the type of soap specifically because of its chemical composition, properties, and affordability." Ellody happily explained. "So now we have the perfect kind of soap for the car wash, allowing for maximum efficiency for multiple types of grime and or buildup."

Bridgette stood on her bike in even more bewilderment than before as the human computer in a gray and white bathing suit walked away to her sister. The blonde surfer shook out of it before tying one last knot on her bike before she slid off it. Unfortunately, Bridgette's sandal got caught on the peddle, pulling her to the ground face first. Rubbing her sore face, Bridgette sighed as she put both her sandals in her duffel, before walking barefoot to her friend.

"So, who else is going to help?" Bridgette asked, as Courtney filled the buckets.

"I asked a bunch of people, but you're the only one to show up."

"I asked a few people as well." Ellody spoke, shifting through her papers. "All said no. Except Mary, but she said she was allergic to the brand of soap I chose. Though we're friends and only now has she mentioned it. I can only surmise that she was lying to get out of the car wash."

"How much time does she spend inside?"

"I almost had to drag her out here." Courtney deadpanned, Bridgette barked out a laugh at her friend.

"Well that's nice, but I'm only gonna be here for a few hours before I have to go to work." Bridgette explained as she handed Courtney another bucket. "You really gonna handle this yourself once I'm gone?"

"Hey guys." Bridgette turned and saw none other than Carrie and Zoey standing at the door to the gas station in matching red hoodies, carrying plastic bags in each hand as they came over. "We got the sponges and snacks."

"Thanks guys." Bridgette nodded as she took some of the candy bars as Courtney took the sponges and tossed them in the buckets. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were going to the beach when we saw these two and asked if they needed help." Zoey explained as she took a bite of her snickers.

"Cool. Cool." Bridgette nodded. "Hey Carrie, are your sisters coming since you're here?"

"Uhhhh, they're kinda busy."

"Uh-huh, well thanks for coming any way." Bridgette smiled. "But B-T-Dubs, I'm only gonna be here for a few hours before I gotta cut out for work."

"Its cool." Carrie nodded back before eating some reese's pieces. "The three of us doing the washing with Ellody handling the money, that should be enough." 

"You sure? You guys'll be stuck here all day with Courtney and Ellody. Oh speaking of crazy, Zoey, how's your nutty brother's latest project? Carrie, I'm sure if you asked your sisters, they would've taken you to the Galleria or something." Bridgette suggested. The two younger girls just awkwardly looked at each other for a moment before silently going back to eating their snacks. "I get it, lesser of three evils."

"Coming through!" The trio hopped to the side surprised as a large mud covered pick-up drove up next to them. The driver rolled down the brown grime covered window. "Hey everybody, can a guy get a car wash here?"

"Hey DJ." Bridgette laughed, picking up a wet sponge and tossing it at him.

"Hey Bridge." DJ nodded as he caught the sponge, the water and soap splashed in his face. "Ha, Zoey. Carrie. Whats up?"

"Alright first customer." Courtney hollered as she picked up the hose and started washing off the mud from the bumpers. "I got the front. Zoey, you've got the back. Carrie you've got the passenger's side. Bridge, you've got the drivers."

"Hey Court." The human Brick-house greeted, before the C.I.T. just waved back in response before handing the buckets to the two younger girls. Said two girls got into position before unzipping their red hoodies, revealing matching lime green swim suits as they began washing. "Never gonna change."

"Dee'j, how'd you get your truck all dirty?" Bridgette asked as she began scrubbing his car door.

"Me, Geoff, and Brody just came back from an off road joy-ride." DJ explained. "I came here to get it clean before the big party tonight. The guys are setting it up at the boat house right now."

"Great, I haven't seen you guys in a few days." Bridgette nodded, splashing some water on the door and wiping away the grime. "How you been?"

"Do'n good." DJ answered. "How about the twins, they adjusting?"

"Oh god."

"That bad huh?" DJ laughed. "Well you'll get one night away from'em."

"O-oh yeah." Bridgette laughed back, relief heavy in her voice. "How about your little brother, how's little Cam?"

"Lil Cam's getting better." DJ answered. "If what the doc's say is true, he'll be out of the hospital soon...wow you're business is getting popular."

"What?" Bridgette asked, looking behind them. Only to find that an entire row of cars, trucks, van's and even a boat with wheels had lined up. Bridgette sighed as she picked up the hose and washed down her side of the truck. "Ohhh, we'll talk later."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _ **The seaweed is always greener, in someone else's lake.**_

The lyrics sang in the surfer's ears as she walked down the stairs. The blonde lifeguard happily hummed to the tune of her childhood as she all but danced step by step to the ground, though always with care and her hand on the railing. Bridgette was carefree but never careless, especially with her two left feet.

 _ **You dream about going up there, but that's a big mistake.**_

Opening her eyes, Bridgette looked around the first deck of the boat house as she adjusted the shoulder strap of her duffel. The surfer could see her friends, familiar faces, and even others she didn't know move, shift, and arrange stuff around the place. The party games were being set up. The plates and cups were on the table along with bags of food. The lifeguard did a double take when she saw the coolers being placed next to it, as she couldn't wait for the happy cold ones she'd pull out of there later that night.

 _ **Such wonderful things around you, what more are you looking for?**_

Bridgette hopped off the final step as she waited for the second verse when she felt someone brush her shoulder. Turning around, Bridgette saw a familiar face as she pulled out her headphones.

"Hey Leshawna."

"Sup girl." Leshawna greeted as the two fist-bumped. "Almost everything is set for the party tonight. DJ's outside working the grill and a couple of guys are bringing their giant speakers. We gotta listen to some of their music, some of it's okay. If you're only into rock."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Bridgette shrugged as she rolled up her phone before putting it back into her bag. "I would have helped, but I was with Courtney on her latest thing."

"Its cool." Leshawna laughed, rolling her eyes. "What award or whatever is Court after this time?"

"No idea." Bridgette admitted. "I think she's just grabbing as much community service points as she can before school starts. It always looks good. Whatever award she's going for."

"She asked me too. Glad I dodged that bullet." Leshawna chuckled. "If I'm gonna work I'm gonna get something out of it. Like a paycheck. Something. No freebies. Personal motto. But forget all that. I'm bringing my baby sis to the party tonight!"

"Sandy is coming?"

"Yup, bring'n her to her first party." Leshawna smiled with pride. "You bring'n the twins?"

"Noooope." Bridgette laughed in relief. "This is my night. They can come next time. Just me and my friends. No babysitting... and ya know, Geoff."

"Have fun ya crazies." Leshawna jokingly slapped her friend's shoulder. "Just remember to lock the door this time."

"Yeaaaah, sorry about before." Bridgette blushed. "I thought I locked it last time."

"Its cool, you should'a seen the look on Gwen's and Trent's faces when they came down." Leshawna laughed. Bridgette chuckled a bit herself at the thought of those two so flustered. "So what brings you here now? I'm guessing your shift at the beach is gonna start soon."

"I got a minute or two." Bridgette answered. "I wanted to meet up with Geoff first."

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Leshawna shrugged as she pointed behind her. "The pretty boy should be in the next room."

Bridgette gave a final fist-bump to her friend before following her advice. Turning over into the next room, Bridgette saw 'the pretty boy' along with Brody pulling in a ping pong table and hauling it over to the side of the room next to a keg.

"Okay, 1-2-3- down." Geoff announced as he and Brody sat down the thin green table. The funnest man in the world wiped the sweat off his brow when he saw Brody pointing behind him.

"Geoff!" Bridgette happily cheered as she dropped her duffelbag.

"Bridgette!" Geoff cheered right back before the two both charged that one step between them into a hug. "I missed you Bridger-bear."

"Awww, I missed you too schmoopsie poo." Bridgette cooed as Geoff lifted her up and into the air before the two spun on his right foot like a ballerina.

"Wow, I wonder if someone can get diabetes from watching this?" Leshawna joked as she entered the room and smiled when Brody laughed before she blew the couple a raspberry. "Or just gag. Come on you two. Save it for the honeymoon."

"Sorry, sorry." Bridgette apologized as Geoff set her down.

"Bridge, everything is almost set up. It'll be ready for tonight by the time your shift's done."

"Great!" Bridgette nodded as she held Geoff's hand. "We can open the first bottles of the night together."

"Too late." Brody chimed as he pulled up a chair to sit with one hand, as he spun off the cap to a bottle with his thumb in the other. "Already called dibs."

"Brody, dick move." Leshawna rolled her eyes as she gave the boy a light slap upside the head. "But funny."

"What?" The rancher asked before taking a swig. "I already called dibs."

"And that is, like, his third one."

"Oh its fine." Bridgette shrugged letting go of Geoff's hand, wrapped her arm around his shoulder while she rubbed his belly. "I said first round of the night. Sun's still out. Till then, do you think DJ'll mind if I leave my duffel in his truck until my shift's over?"

"Nah, he'd be cool with it. Later guys."

Bridgette smiled as she walked out the side door and felt the bright noon air rain down on her skin. Bridgette smiled deeper as she felt the cool breeze blow against her, cooling her down. Taking a step forward, enjoying the sweet smell the of the great lake to their side. Of course all that was forgotten when she saw Geoff's famous cowboy hat and open pink shirt as he walked passed her. Her smile shifted into a smirk as Bridgette jumped onto Geoff's back.

"Woooo!" Bridgette cheered as she stuck the landing, with Geoff catching her perfectly with his strong back and muscular arms. Bridgette felt like she was glowing inside when she felt how hot Geoff was underneath her as he spun them around. "Ha-ha. Woooo!" 

"Yahooooo!" Geoff cheered himself as he finished his spin and charged forward to their friend's truck in the parking lot. Before he even stopped, Bridgette tossed her duffel into the back of the truck as she slid down Geoff's and hugged.

The two happy blondes were all over each other as their kiss heated up. Geoff's hands were exploring Bridgette as they slid lower and lower until they were right on her firm behind, clad in only a thin bathing-suit and squeezed. Bridgette herself giggled as she was feeling up Geoff's washboard stomach with sheer glee. Of course that quickly changed when the pink clad rancher hoisted up the lifeguard into the air with Bridgette wrapping her legs around Geoff's waist.

"Yee-ha!"

"I missed you all week Bridger-bear." Geoff cooed, kissing her teasingly. The rancher smiled as Bridgette's quiet giggle only encouraged him. "I really like your onsey."

"Don't think I didn't miss you. The only real company I had all week was the twins. The _only_ company." Bridgette answered before she adjusted Geoff's head so she could kiss him again, even harder than before. As she kissed, Bridgette slid her hands down from the rancher's face to his shoulders and slid off his open shirt before she started feeling his pecks and abs again. "Have you been working out Mr. Handsome?."

The two smiled at each other before the two kissed again, with Geoff spinning them one more time before stopping and pressing the surfer girl against the white truck, both moaned into each other. But before either could go any further, the lifeguard's phone alarm went off in her duffel. The two didn't want to stop, they were all but compelled to press on. But the alarm just wouldn't stop.

"I'm sorry schmoopsie poo."

"Its cool Bridger-bear." Geoff cooed as he backed them away from DJ's truck and let her down. "It'll be our reward for the night."

"That's a good way to look at it. A reward. One for us both. But I'll give you one right now," Bridgette smiled, grabbing the rancher's hand and pulled him in for a last kiss. "for being so patient."

"Hey Berny!"

Turning to their side, the young couple found none other than Lindsay waving at them. Not just her, but also Taylor, Jen and the head of their group, Heather. All dressed up in bikini's and ready for the beach, gear in hand. All but Lindsay, who was in a very familiar looking outfit. Bridgette tried not to shake her head as her and Geoff waved back.

"Hey Berny." Lindsay greeted as she walked up to the couple. "Hey Joey."

"Sup Linds." Goeff greeted, high fiveing the girl.

"Lindsay what are you doing here?" Bridgette asked, gesturing to Lindsay's lifeguard uniform she was still wearing. "You're not supposed to leave the beach until someone relieves you. Which is me today."

"Well, Heather called and wanted to meet at the snowcone stand before everyone went to the beach." Lindsay answered as she pointed to her friends as they continued their way to the beach.

"Okay." Bridgette sighed. "Lindsay, you could get in trouble just leaving like that. You could get fired, or worse. Someone could get hurt and there'd be no one there to help them."

"Bridge relax." Geoff padded her back. "When was the last time someone got hurt at the lake."

"Besides, we all know I'll never get fired."

"Linds- Lindsay, just go get changed before someone notices." Bridgette shrugged. "We'll hang-out at the party later."

"Thats cool. I, like, haven't seen you all week. It'll be good to catch up Berny." Lindsay nodded as she waved to the couple before running off to her friends.

" _Berny_. Connections or not, that girl's gonna get fired. Well, I gotta go see ya-"

Bridgette grabbed Geoff's hand again, but when she was about to pull him in for a final kiss, the lifeguard could see that the rancher was mesmerized and staring at Lindsay's behind as she left. Shaking her head, Bridgette gently slapped the rancher's gut, getting his attention.

"Eyes on the prize schmoopsie poo." Bridgette smiled as she kissed his cheek. "Remember what's waiting for you tonight." 

XXXXXXXXXXX

 _ **Darling its better. Down where its wetter. Take it from me.**_

The lyrics sang in the lifeguard's ears as she walked down the beach, the duffel's sling on her shoulders. But the happy tune only helping her mood. Anxious for what was waiting for her that night, Bridgette took a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

 _ **Out in the sun they slave away.**_

Exhaling, Bridgette regained composure as she looked around the beach she was assigned to watch over. Bridgette could see it was a beautiful late morning. The clear blue sky above her was high and bright, and the lake loving birds were enoying the open air. Especially over the parking lot, judging from how many were sitting on the lamp posts. Bridgette only guessed they made a game of their bombing the windows of the cars in the parking lot. That thought made her laugh, as Bridgette and the rest of the staff sure did.

 _ **Down here all fish is happy.**_

Bridgette took out her headphones, putting them and her phone back in her duffel. Taking another look, Bridgette saw that the beach was popular today, and not just for the birds. Kids were burying their parents in the sand. Athletes were making their rounds swimming in the public swimming area and in the rented canoes further out. Couples young and old came for some quiet alone time together. Looking back up the slow sloped hill to the boat house sitting on the edge of a man-made cliff, its rear balcony stared back at the surfer as its strong thick pillars held it over the stone laced sand below.

At the top of the hill on the sidewalk, Bridgette saw none other than two familiar goths. The surfer couldn't place their names, but knew she met them once or twice through Gwen. The two most famously photosensitive people she knew were walking along in the bright son, led by a brown haired boy in a blazer she couldn't quite recognize.

The surfer shrugged before she saw her post. Bridgette smiled at the red folding chair on a red towel in the center of the lake, both with a white medical cross. Dropping her duffel, the lifeguard took a seat, happy and content as everyone else as she took deep breaths. Fully enjoying the smell of the lake and the feel of the water on her feet. But this wasn't to last as the surfer heard her phone ringing inside her duffel. Stretching one last time, the lifeguard took out her phone while putting on shades to help her see the caller.

Bridgette began a silent conversation with her gothic best friend. Most of it about their work and complaining about anything they could think of about it. The lifeguard had to admit that Gwen's place of employment was easier to poke fun at given how run down it was. People in it even easier, Gwen included.

Being honest, Bridgette wasn't really there. The lifeguard was tired and wanted to relax in the warm sun with her feet in the cool lake water. Talking to her friend was always fun so it was a nice consolation prize. Then of course the topic of Duncan came up, like it always does with Gwen.

Duncan was Gwen's best friend, well best guy friend, and he had been for the longest time. The two were inseparable. In the times all three had hung out together, Bridgette and anyone else could see the bond. But during all of those times, not once did either of them give so much as a hint of being interested in each other. Doing a quick recall, Bridgette remembered that more often then not, given their similar appearance and personalities, people thought they were actual siblings than friends. But before Bridgette could dwell on it further she heard a scream.

"LIFEGUARD!" Bridgette looked up from her phone and scanned the beach, her face completely blank. "LIFEGUARD UP!"

Bridgette hopped up to her feet and saw the one who needed her help. The young lifeguard ran as fast as she could toward the far end of the public swimming area. About half-way to the roped off buoy markers was someone violently squirming, clearly drowning. Finally making it to that part of the beach, Bridgette jumped into the water and raced toward him with all her might, rescue tube in hand.

Reaching the guy, about a foot below the surface, Bridgette grabbed hold of his arm tight to try and calm him enough to help. It worked as he quickly stopped struggling as Bridgette wrapped the rescue tube around him. After raising him to the surface, the lifeguard swam them both to shore.

Pulling the man a good foot out of the water Bridgette began checking him over. To her terror, she found he wasn't breathing. The lifeguard instantly straightened his head before she opened his mouth and began breathing into him. After each breath the fear in Bridgette grew and grew, luckily for all, the third breath was the trick. The brown haired man opened his eyes and spat up a good lung's worth of water before turning to the side and coughing out the rest.

Seeing this, Bridgette sat down in the wet sand, sighing in relief as the fear and panic faded away. After regaining her composure, Bridgette looked at the man whose life she just saved, specifically that he was wearing a suit jacket on top his brown trucks. Bridgette also found he was handcuffed, with his hands behind his back. While curious, Bridgette couldn't ignore the crowd forming around them. Standing up, Bridgette walked over and padded the coughing guy on the back.

"Okay everybody. He's alive and safe. Nothing to see here." Bridgette ordered, waving them away with one hand, padding the guy's back with the other. Thankfully, they did leave, though the lifeguard knew they wouldn't stop watching them. not much of this kind of excitement happened on a landlocked lake. Sighing, Bridgette looked down and saw that while he was still coughing, he was better. Sitting up and taking deep-ish breaths. "Hey, you okay?"

"Y-yeah, woooo." He quietly cheered, some exhaustion in his voice through the coughing. "Don't wanna do that again."

"If you wanted to do that the first time, you've got problems. Come on." Bridgette said, as gently as she could while she grabbed the guy's left arm and hoisted him to his feet before walking him off to one of the park tables in a patch of shade under a tree. "Sit here. Now, are you sure you're okay?"

"Well, I'm kinda wet."

"Dude, this is serious." Bridgette glared. "You _died_ , or close to it. I'm still kinda freaking out."

"Uhh." The guy sighed. "I'm sorry. And yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for... s-saving my life. My name's Cody."

"Bridgette." The lifeguard answered, reaching her hand out then remembering that Cody couldn't do the same and pulled her hand back. There was then an uncomfortable silence between the two. In that time Bridgette got the first real look at the guy she rescued, and she could tell he was doing the same to her.

The lifeguard saw that the blazer he was wearing was a bit too big for him, and clung to him like wet paper. What parts of his body wasn't hidden by the jacket was pale and clammy. Though that was from nearly drowning. Sitting straight, Bridgette could tell he was shorter than her by an inch or two, probably a bit more if they were standing. Bridgette saw that his chestnut brown hair matched his eyes and the stripes of his trunks but was a mess thanks to the water.

"Sooo-"

"Why are you handcuffed?"

"Me and my buds, we were practicing our routines." Cody explained, a bit of fear on his face. "A good chunk of 'em involve fire. Ergo, we needed to be around water."

"Yeah, that does not-what?"

"We're _aspiring-_ " Cody answered, confidence in his voice, before he pulled his hands into the air and dropped the handcuffs on the table. " _ **Magicians**_."

"Uhhh, okay. well, why didn't you do that someplace with a hose or something. A place where you could put out the fire without frick'n drowning?"

"H-ha... yeah, about that?" Cody shrugged as he re-locked the cuffs with a loud snap. "I really wanted to mess with my friends by getting them into the sun. They _hate_ going outside during the day. Besides, I've done that escape trick and fireball stunt more times than I can count. Thought it'd be a snap. Me tripping and falling into the lake like that... Call it karma."

"I-I can't believe what I'm hearing." Bridgette sighed as she rubbed her temple. "Alright, fine. If you're willing to play chicken with Karma, show me a magic trick."

"R-really? Well, since I'm still wet i can't do my signature stuff. So I'm kinda stuck with the lame material. _SHAZAM_!" Instantly Cody's hand shot forward. Bridgette thought he was going to punch her before she saw the flower bouquet of different kinds of roses in front of her. "For the lovely lady."

"Uhhh, thanks." Bridgette answered, awkwardly grabbing the bouquet. The lifeguard was stunned by the trick, the sheer suddenness through her off. The corniness of the plastic gift didn't help.

"Oooooh, the lovely lady likes surprises. Well I got an even better one for ya."

Cody chimed as he pulled out a large flat circle out of his jacket pocket. Only to flip it in the air and an entire black cylinder to open up, revealing it to be a top hat. He set the extended hat on top of the table, inside facing up, before he reached in and pulled out a rabbit of all things. Bridgette let out a surprised laugh at this, clearly the rabbit was fake, but she thought it was amazing none the less. Cody smiled at this before he dropped the rabbit back into the top hat and swirled his hands over it.

" _Bunny begone!_ "

Cody clapped his hands before he collapsed the top hat to just a thin round strip on the table. No bunny to be seen.

"HA!" Bridgette barked in complete surprise as she picked up the thin strip and try as she might, could not find the rabbit. Bridgette couldn't even get it to open. This time the lifeguard truly was impressed with no corniness or stock surprise to throw her off. "How did you do that?"

"Magic." Cody smiled. "... Can I have that back? its been though a lot today. You can keep the flowers though. Heck, O might even get you some real ones. Least I could do."

"T-thanks." Bridgette laughed, feeling her face heat up, handing him the collapsed top hat. "You don't need to do that though. Just doing my jo-"

"Cody."

"Enny. Crim. Sup?"

"We wanted to make sure you were okay." The lifeguard heard the male goth answer with a smaller female goth right next to him, both umbrella in hand. Bridgette stared at the two. While they looked familiar, it wasn't easy to forget someone wearing that much make up outside of parties and concerts, their monotone voices and blank at best expressions still unnerved the surfer a bit. "We saw you fall into the lake."

"Wait, you saw him fall and you're just now showing up?"

"Who do you think called you, lifeguard?" Crimson answered, pointing to Ennui. "And you're Gwen's sunny friend, right? Bridgette?"

"Yup, that's me." Bridgette nodded, apologetically as she sat down the fake flowers on the table. "...and sorry."

"Thanks for saving Cody's life." Crimson 'blinked' pointing to her fellow magician. "Even though he brought it on himself."

"Yeeeah, i own that. But hey, silver lining, I-we got to meet some nice people."

Bridgette tried to just stare on. Try to ignore that Cody was poorly hiding that he was gesturing to her while he looked at the goths with the biggest grin on his face. But the surfer couldn't, and slipped out a few small laughs. Corny and adorable, sure. But it was funny. Giving up on hiding her notice, Bridgette could see that Cody was just pretending to hide his gesture. Bridgette had no idea what this meant, but she laughed again from it. The goths themselves just stared at him with the same blank expression she always saw them with.

"Sooo, how do you guys know each other?"

"Oh, we're part of the city's 'magic circle'." Cody explained. "Once a week we practice. I'm kinda the fire expert. Enny and Crim are great with animals."

"And we're not up to escape routines yet." Ennui explained, shaking his head.

"Cody, we're out of here." Crimson sighed as her and Ennui turned and walked away. "We won't forget the stunt you pulled today. Next week, we choose the spot for practice. Have fun while you can with sunny girl. Next week is not gonna have much light."

"Ohhh, that'll be fun." Cody laughed, a bit of nervousness in his voice. "So you know those two?"

"Yeah, through my friend Gwen." Bridgette explained. "She's a goth too, but more friendly-ish. But I'm still wrapping my head around that you're friends with'em."

"I like magic, they like magic. Common ground."

"I never knew that about'em. I don't think Gwen knows."

"Don't let their make up and wigs fool ya. They're cool guys. Depressed and creepy attitude and all." Cody nodded. "So how about you?"

"What about me?"

"Oh, sorry. Rude." Cody apologized as he pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket, fresh in plastic. After ripping off the wrapper Cody flung the cards from one hand to the other. "I'm Cody, we did that already. I live in the city. I don't have a job but lots of hobbies and I go to TD high. All AP courses."

"Wow," Bridgette laughed again. "you've made your sale. You can stop trying to impress."

"My practice isn't over. I still need to work on my showmanship and charm in front of an audience." Cody winked as he flung a few more cards around. Bridgette couldn't help but laugh at this, guessing that corniness was part of his act. "Is this your card?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stepping off the pavement on to the wooden walkway, Bridgette looked at the large beach shack. The surfer smiled as she saw all the lights beaming and shining out of the windows and doors. The loud music booming through the walls and the faint sound of infomercials seeping out the living-room windows. Bridgette licked her lips as she sniffed the faint scent of barbecue in the air. Bridgette smiled one last time, thinking about the good time she knew she was going to have tonight.

Looking at the front porch of the boat house, Bridgette saw Cody, leaning against the railing with two bottles in his hands waiting for her. Bridgette saw that he hadn't changed, but shrugged as he probably didn't have anything to change into. Though Bridgette noticed that while his blazer was a little wrinkled, it was dry and fitted him much better. As did Cody's now combed hair.

"Cody."

"Hey Bridgette." Cody greeted, offering her one of the bottles. "How's it going?"

"G-good." Bridgette stuttered in light surprise. The surfer had to admit she was a little disappointed at his words. Shrugging off the feeling, Bridgette happily took the cold bottle. "Thanks, sorry for taking so long. The public restroom is a kinda far."

"Its cool."

Cody shrugged, twisting off the cap. Bridgette sat her bottle on the porch railing as she dropped her duffel on the outdoor dining table next to them. Turning back, Bridgette grew a lop sided frown as she saw Cody simply flipping the bottle cap in the air like a coin.

"Hey, you wanna put your jacket in my duffel until after the party?"

"I appreciate it." Cody smiled as he flipped the cap one last time, with it landing in his breast pocket. "But a magician should always keep his gear close when at a party."

"Maybe," Bridgette smiled, shaking her head at Cody's showboating. "But you're not the entertainment and its not that kinda party."

"Meeeeeehhhhh." The magician bit his lip in a sarcastic shrug before he slid off the jacket. "Okay."

"Okay." Bridgette nodded as she opened up her duffel. grabbing the jacket, Bridgette finally got a good look at the magician. The surfer could see that Cody was just as thin and skinny as she thought and now standing, was even shorter than she guessed. All that along with red-ish sunburn he had over his body, reminded Bridgette of a half cooked chicken wing. The lifeguard blinked at the thought, holding back a laugh.

"Bridgette you okay?"

"O-oh, sorry." Bridgette stuttered, embarrassed as she folded the blazer and slid it into the duffel. "Its just that you're kinda... red- Hey, did you have anything to eat today?"

"Just breakfast."

"Well lets find you some food." Bridgette announced as she wrapped the duffel's sling around her shoulder before she walked in the front door. " _A lot of food._ "

After stepping through the door, Bridgette looked around, finding that most of the house was filled with people from all over the beach coming over and having a good time. It was mostly people from the local high school and community college. Bridgette could see there were more than a few tourists and young adults from the families she saw from her lifeguard shift. Bridgette smiled from seeing her friends in the rooms here and there. But the smile soon faded, as there was one person she could not find.

Going to the center of the room, Bridgette got a better look through the hallways and while she still couldn't see Geoff, Bridgette spotted a very familiar face. None other than a certain C.I.T., fresh in a new bikini the surfer had never seen on her, talking to someone with a clear smile on her face. A curious lifeguard grew a smirk as she made her way to her friend.

"Bridgette." The lifeguard turned to her left and was met by none other than the human brickhouse himself, giving her a highfive. "Welcome to the party!"

"Hey, DJ." Bridgette greeted back, fist bumping the human giant. "This place looks great."

"You look great." DJ chuckled like Santa Clause, gesturing to the off-duty lifeguard. "Really pulled out all the stops today didn't ya?"

"What, this o'l _thang_?"

Bridgette joked, pointing up and down her new bikini. It was a nice and smooth looking light aqua bikini top in a wrap style, complimented by a navy beach skirt. The blonde herself had her hair down in her natural spread curve instead of in a strait pony tail. Really though, the lifeguard was relieved and proud that _someone_ finally noticed having spent so much time and money saving up for it. Not to mention keeping it safe from the twins.

"It looks good on you Bridge." DJ nodded before taking a swig from the cup in his hand. "Who's your friend?"

"Huh? O-oh, oh this is Cody." Bridgette stuttered, gesturing to the magician behind her giving the lifeguard a lop sided grin. Having completely forgotten he was there. "He's a friend of mine. H-he got into a bit of trouble in the lake today. I pulled him out."

"So this is the guy everyone's talking about." DJ asked, reaching his hand out to Cody. "Good to see you're alright."

"Thanks. So much for it being low key."

"Dude." DJ shook his head. "It happened on the beach just outside. A few of us even saw it. Some of us worried, but I didn't. I knew Bridgette could handle it."

"Awww, thanks Deej."

"Honestly man, you're lucky it was Bridge's shift instead of Lindsay. Good chance you both would'a drown." DJ nodded. Bridgette nodded, agreeing. "Oh and hey, if you're looking for Geoff, I saw him around. I could help ya look."

"Thanks Deej, its okay." Bridgette shrugged. "I'm sure he'll turn up."

"Okay," DJ shrugged as he waved to the other room through the hall."I'd challenge you two to a game of darts. Fraid I'm being called."

Turning around, Bridgette could see that Brody was waving back for DJ to come to him. Next to Brody was a couple of guys Bridgette couldn't recognize. But the lifeguard could tell that one was a pudgy dude with fizzled brown hair and next to him was someone much more in-shape wearing a bandanna over his long blond hair. Both were wearing kiss trunks.

"Sorry guys, next time."

"It's cool Deej." Bridgette smiled as she grabbed Cody's hand. "We're gonna hit the food table. Neither of us have eaten since this morning."

"Seriously? You guys are skinny enough." DJ shook his head as he walked down the hall. "Don't starve yourselves."

"So what's your excuse for not eating?" Cody asked as they both made it to the fairly crowded food table.

"I usually eat during my shift," Bridgette answered, scooping up a few sliders. "but I had to save someone from drowning. Then I just kinda talked to the guy until my shift was over."

"Wow, ain't that a coinkydink?" Cody joked, grabbing some pizza. "I almost drowned and spent the day with my rescuer. Any chance you know her? Blonde, super hot, really funny. Loves my magic."

"Oh my god!" Bridgette laughed, her cheeks heating up as she gently slapped his chest. "You're making me blush."

"Bridgette."

"Hey Lashawna, Sanders." Bridgette greeted as the sisters walked up to her. Lashawna was in her dark gray bathing suit while Sanders herself was in a two piece bikini with colors that matched Bridgette's own, though reversed. "How's it going?"

"Doing great and looking great as always." Leshawna smirked. "Looking good yourself girl. Where'd you find that thing?"

"From a site Courtney showed me."

"Courtney? You sure it was her?" Leshawna asked. "Because that girl's usual look screams 'preppy reject.' Not buying it."

"Come on lash, don't be mean."

"Fine, this night isn't about that girl and the pole up her butt." Leshawna rolled her eyes before she gently pushed Sanders in front of her. "Instead its about my baby sister going to her first big girl party."

"Thanks _Lash_."

"So Sanders," Bridgette asked, taking a bite of her slider. "how are you liking your first 'big girl party'?"

Sanders simply smirked, placed her hands on her hips and blew a raspberry at the older girls. Bridgette and Leshawna couldn't help laugh at her.

"Alright, alright, alright fine. No more kid stuff. Big girl game." Leshawna announced, pointing to the empty pool table at the end of the room. Right in front of the open window that oversaw the lake and the park next to it. "Two on two. We each toss in a ten. Winner take all. You guys in? Stringbean look'n at you."

"Huh?" Cody asked, halfway through biting off a chunk of pizza before nodding with a shrug.

"Okay, we're in." Bridgette nodded as she led the group to the empty pool table. "But I'm raising the stakes. twenty bucks each."

"You're on." Sanders agreed, challenging victory in her voice as she set up the table.

"I'm going first." Leshawna announced, grabbing a pool cue from the wall and setting up her shot. "You guys walked into a hustle. Dad took us to his favorite bar whenever he had to babysit us."

"And while I listened to the vet's stories, the regulars let Leshawna and Steph win." Sanders joked, poking the side of the table with her own cue. "So my sisters know how to use a pole."

"Ohhhh, shots fired." Cody laughed, finishing up his plate.

"Okay, I'm taking your half when we win." Lashawna snapped back as she broke the triangle, spreading the balls around the table with no clear pattern. But not one managed to fall into a hole. " _Damn_."

"Guess I'll go next." Bridgette shrugged as she lined up her shot, aiming for the 9-ball, the side pocket right behind it. But the second her cue hit the cue-ball, it shot up into the air, bounced right off the spot it was sitting before and jumped off the side of the table with a large bang. "Whoops."

"That counts." Sanders decreed as she picked up the cue-ball from the floor and set it less than an inch from the same ball. Sanders easily knocked it into the socket, the cue- ball had enough momentum and power to push back into the crowd of other balls. Knocking them into another random pattern, but managing to tip another ball into a back pocket. This time a solid. "Okay, stripes for us. Solids for you. Make it count. You're behind."

"You knocked one in for us." Cody replied as he set up his shot, aiming the cue-ball to 3-ball across the width of the table. The magician made his mark, shooting the ball and knocking his target into the pocket before bouncing to the triad of other balls at the side pocket up the table. Knocking another solid in and pushing the other two away. Which knocked a few other solids close to the pockets. "Well, look at that."

"Lucky shot."

"Maybe." Cody smirked, taking his shot and knocking two more solids into pockets while setting up easier targets. "Its all about the fingers. And mine, ladies, _magic_."

"Oh god." Bridgette chuckled, barely holding back a giggling fit, if not at Cody's bravado than by the sisters reactions. Leshawna slapped her hand over her face and groaned while Sanders rolled her eyes before growing a smirk herself.

"Okay, _fingers_." Leshawna rolled her eyes. "I'm calling bull."

"A magician never reveals his secrets." Cody answered, knocking another ball into a bottom pocket. "Oh, FYI, I'm a magician."

"Well, _magician_." Leshawna replied, annoyance in her voice as she grabbed the cue-ball as Cody lines up his shot. "That's your last round. My turn."

"Fine, whatever." Cody shrugged, taking a swig from his bottle.

Leshawna herself shook her head as lined up her shot, aiming for the a group of balls in the bottom left. But, the second the cue hit the cue-ball, it shot right up into the air. Unlike Bridgette's misfire, Leshawna's made a B-line for the open window at the side, flying out of it into parts unknown.

"Really?" Bridgette asked, the lifeguard shaking her head at her friend. "You really didn't want to lose that twenty did you? Come on Cody, lets go get it."

"I never said that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"So," Cody began as he finished his bottle. "how long do you think they waited before they bolted?"

"Oh they probably left the second we went out the door." Bridgette explained as walked down the stairs attached to the boat house built on the port side slope leading to the sandy tip of the beach below.

Making it to the stretched waiting gap, Bridgette looked out to the beach before her. The lifeguard couldn't help but think it looked even more beautiful now than it did during the day, what with the silver full-moon standing overhead like a glowing crown. Its light shining against the waves of the black pool. But what really got the lifeguard's attention was the beach at its edge, and how empty it was. Specifically the volleyball court right behind the boat house. Taking out her phone, Bridgette saw how relatively early it still was and shrugged.

"But we have to come down here and get the ball. Its park property. Same as the house." Bridgette sighed. "I work for the park and I was last seen playing with it."

"Okay, than why didn't we make them get it?"

"Because, they'd just find someway to weasel out of it." Bridgette shrugged as she continued her walk down the stairs. "Leshawna hates losing- hold on... you hear that?"

Standing still half way down the lower half of the stairs, Bridgette heard the faint sound of people talking, but they weren't coming from the boat house above them. Even with all the music and sounds from the park owned emergency shack, the lifeguard could hear someone and she could tell where it was coming from. Crouching down and gesturing for Cody to do the same, Bridgette gently folded up her beach skirt and silently tip-toed down the stairs.

Once finally at the bottom, hiding behind the large desk sized decorative stones half burried into the ground, Bridgette peaked and saw a familiar face. Covering her mouth in surprise, Bridgette found none other than Courtney talking to Duncan of all people. Having a better look than before, Bridgette could see that Courtney's new bikini was actually a pair of gray booty shorts with a matching sports bra, her hair tied back into a pony tail.

The surfer had to admit, Courtney looked good. Duncan himself was just in his regular cargo jean shorts, but all his muscles and physique were open for all to see. Bridgette couldn't help but stare for a moment or two at the bad boy's abs. Both were facing each other, leaning against the thick pillars holding up the boat house.

"Why are you so uptight all the time?"

"I am not uptight." Courtney spat back, her arms folded, eyes closed with her nose in the air. Bridgette sighed at her friend's usual snobbery.

"Phtt." Duncan chuckled. "You always follow the rules."

"W-well you always have to break them." Courtney stuttered, pointing at Duncan's pierced face.

"Only the ones I want to." Duncan teased, winking at the C.I.T. Bridgette blinked at this, hardly believing what was in front of her.

"Okay," Courtney turned to her side, her shoulder now leaning against the pillar as she started playing with her ponytail a bit. "so I guess that makes me a big uptight loser in your books right?"

"Maybe."

"Ugh!"

"So," Duncan chuckled again, confidence dripping in his voice. "why do you follow them?"

"Because not fallowing them gets you thrown under the bus." Courtney spat, tossing a brown band harmlessly against his chest, releasing hear rich mocha hair from the ponytail.

"But I'm under this bus with you, aren't I?" Duncan asked teasingly, handing Courtney back her hair band.

Bridgette tilted her head as she saw her friend grow a rebellious smile. But then everything stopped, the upbeat music booming through the floors of the boat house above them vanished for a moment and was switched out with an almost lazy lyrical tune. Obviously a slow song. A romantic, slow song. Bridgette bit her nails in suspense as she saw the duo below her look up at the boat house above them for a moment, both of their faces blank. The two looked back down at each other, the C.I.T.'s face still blank, but the delinquent grew his famous smirk.

"Okay, if you're not uptight prove it." Duncan challenged, gently reaching his hand to her. "Dance with me."

"You're joking?" Courtney laughed in disbelief.

"Well, if its too wild for you-"

"Fine." Courtney spat out as she took his hand, but sounded more like a giggle. The first giggle that Bridgette had ever heard from her friend.

The lifeguard practically kicked herself for not bringing popcorn as she saw the two people she knew couldn't be more different in the world come together and _dance_. Really they were just shifting weight from one foot to the other, giving the appearance that they were moving, but that wasn't really the take away.

Courtney had her free hand placed on-top of Duncan's chest, over his heart. Duncan had his arm wrapped around Courtney's waist reaching to her lower back. Their remaining hands were grabbing each-other, as far as Bridgette could tell, as tenderly as if they were grabbing an egg. Duncan was looking down at Courtney, his smirk morphed into a gentle smile. Courtney herself was looking up at Duncan with a smile that belonged in a dream.

Looking at all this, Bridgette couldn't help but remember her meeting with Geoff earlier that afternoon. How happy and lovey-dubby she was with him, and how all of that seemed tame compared to this. Bridgette had to silently slap her hand over her mouth to hold in a laugh at the thought.

The two continued this for another song, neither one changing a single inch in their routine. But once that song stopped, replaced with upbeat booming like before, the two stood still for a moment. After what had to be at least a minute, the two finally broke apart from each other. Though Bridgette could see their hands were still together

"Sooooo... Any chance I get that kiss you owe me?"

"Heh," Courtney laughed, rubbing her free hand against his cheek. "you're still not my type."

"Fine." Duncan smiled, grabbing hold of her hand and holding it like he was the other one. "Enjoy having a peanut-butterless life."

"Thanks." Courtney smiled back, sliding her hands out of his grip. "Enjoy prison."

"I will." Duncan joked.

The moment- the millisecond he finished Bridgette saw Courtney grab Duncan's face with both her hands and pulled him down for a kiss. Duncan was surprised and frozen still for a moment, Bridgette laughed into her hand as she saw the local 'tough guy' melt where he stood like warm ice-cream. But all too soon, Courtney broke the kiss and silently strutted away. Strutting right toward the stairs Bridgette and Cody were in front of.

Bridgette quickly turned to her side and saw Cody hiding behind one of the pillars, his phone out in front of him facing where the couple had been. Grabbing his wrist, Bridgette pulled him with her as she crouched down on all fours and crawled under the stairs as quietly as she could.

Apparently, it was just in time. As when Courtney walked where they had been, she gave no sign she knew they were there. The C.I.T. just kept strutting, until she got to the top of the stairs. Bridgette laughed into her hand again as she saw Courtney slap her hand over her own mouth as she jumped up and down a few times before running off into the night. Turning back around, Bridgette saw Duncan still slumped over with a sloppy smile before he stood up and walked off the other way. Once Duncan was out of her sight, Bridgette slid out from from under the stairs with Cody right behind her.

"Well, what do ya know?" Bridgette asked jokingly, a proud smile on her face. "How much of that did you get?"

"Pretty much all of it."

"Keep it. I wanna show it to Courtney later." Bridgette nodded, pointing at Cody's phone. "If they last, it'll make a good anniversary gift. if not, Courtney'll love deleting it."

"Alright. You want me to text this to you or something?"

"Yeah, let me give you my numb-" The lifeguard was stopped as she pulled her phone out, vibrating in her hand. Bridgette looked at the screen and giggled with excitement. But before doing anything, Bridgette took a deep breath and answered as calmly as she could.

"Courtney, hey. How are you- wow. Wow, Courtney. Slow down. What happened? Take a deep breath or something. I've never heard you this jittery... Sorry Cody, I kinda have to take this. We'll talk later."

Bridgette reluctantly told her new friend, her hand over her phone so Courtney wouldn't hear. Cody simply shrugged and held out his hand. Bridgette reached to shake it, only to find it had the queen of hearts. Bridgette smiled as she took it. Cody nodded at her before he walked off into the night. Bridgette smiled at the skinny sunburnt magician as he walked up the stairs. Though the lifeguard's smile shifted to an embarrassed smirk as her gaze lowered from the back of his head to his behind as he faded into the dark. Bridgette shook her head at herself as she went back to her phone. 


	3. A Boy Named Sue

Summer

Chapter 3- A Boy Named Sue

It was a cool morning in the shining metropolis. The sun was still rising as more and more clouds filled the sky. Anyone could see darker and heavier clouds being pushed along with a damp wind as thunder, lightning, and rain could be heard in the distance. Clearly a storm was well on its way.

Down below in a humble, if special neighborhood, was a small home. In one of the bedrooms Scott rubbed his eyes as he groaned before he rolled over onto his side. Scott was startled when he felt something small and soft pat him on the nose. Opening his eyes he found a small black cat standing in front of him, its deep blue eyes staring back up at him on the floor. Scott blew the over grown rat a raspberry. The cat returned a simple meow before turning around and walking toward the open door, but not before slapping its long tail against the lad's face, targeting his eyes.

Scott instantly rolled over onto his back, rubbing his eyes from the outright pain. Scott stopped himself when he heard a crunching bending sound under him and a pain in his back. Opening his eyes slowly, Scott pulled out the cause and found it was a small blue beer can. It was empty and crumpled up with a few drops leaking out from the top.

Looking around, Scott found that the floor was littered with more crumpled up beer cans. Not only that, but Scott found he was naked from the waist down with only his work boots on, though his pants were in sight. As was the same black cat standing in the hall just outside the door, a beer can laying next to it. The cat's deep blue eyes giving him the same blank stink eye. The cat gave another meow before stomping onto the can, creating a loud crumpling sound.

Before Scott knew it he heard light groaning above him to his left. Looking up Scott saw a bed, with a slender pale arm slide out and hanging off to the side right up until the elbow. The confused lad looked back and found the cat was gone. With a headache and hangover making itself known and raging with a vengeance, Scott looked around the room he was in one more time before whispering himself a question.

"Where am I?"

Holding his hand on the dresser for support, Scott forced himself to stand. The banging hangover made his head feel like he just got catapulted off a roller coaster into an oncoming truck. His eyes still blurry, Scott slapped himself with his other hand to focus. Luckily enough it worked.

Looking to his side, Scott found in the bed was a beautiful blonde girl sleeping soundly and peacefully. Instantly, Scott looked down and to his relief, he was indeed wearing a condom. Sighing in delight, Scott looked again at the girl. The girl had beautiful if a bit frazzled shoulder-length platinum blonde hair. She was laying naked on her front, blankets down by her feat, with her face facing him. Scott could see that while the girl was on the small and lean side, she had some curves.

Scott nodded as he smirked at the girl laying peacefully in front of him. Pride and joy beaming in his chest, though it was offset a bit by the hangover he was dealing with. Looking at the floor, Scott could see there weren't that many beer cans scattered around with the girls red skirt and top from the night before. If he could count right now, Scott had to guess it was enough for a six-pack.

"We had to'ave drunk more than this." Scott shrugged, embarrassment in his voice. "Who is this girl?"

Looking again, Scott found that at the side of the bed was some tape with writing on it. Scott's eyes were too blurred to read it though. He found that it was also a bunk bed with another cot resting on top of the bunk the girl was sleeping in. Though, thankfully there wasn't anyone in it. Stumbling his way over to his pants, Scott pulled off the condom and tossed it into the waste basket as he put on his jeans.

Adjusting his belt, Scott could see that there were colorful marked boxes and bags stacked on top of each other next to the bunk bed. His senses and sight returning to him, Scott could see that the rest of the room was barren and clean. The message was clear, the girl just moved in.

Taking care not to step on any of the noisy cans, Scott smiled as he went to the boxes. Unfortunately for the thief, the open boxes and bags were filled with little more than clothes and useless nick-nacks. Hardly worth the trouble of stealing. But then he saw it. At the bottom corner of a duffel bag, Scott pulled out a small wooden box. The box was old, wonderfully decorated and carved with symbols and designs he didn't recognize with a tiny black iron lock at the front.

Shaking it as lightly as he could, at the very least Scott heard the sound of enough coins to make it worth it. Along with a few larger prizes inside with them. Nodding, Scott turned for the door, only to be stopped dead in his tracks as he heard the girl stir in the bed. Looking, Scott found that she simply yawned and was still sound asleep. Sighing in relief again, Scott silently pulled the blankets up from her feet completely over her.

"Great night. Even better morning."

Scott whispered as he walked out the door, closing it quietly, locked box in hand. His hangover still raging in his head and his vision still a little blurry, Scott leaned against the hallway wall for support as he headed toward the natural daylight. When he made it, Scott found it was a window in a door leading to the outside world. Finding the knob, Scott opened the door and stepped to freedom, on his second step Scott's leg smacked against something hard with a loud clang and sent the thief falling face first.

To Scott's own surprise, instead of falling on cold hard asphalt or cement he fell into warm soft water. Quickly standing up in the knee deep water, the thief wiped his eyes clear and found he was in the shallows of the city's lake. In front of him, Scott saw a small green field with a hill just behind it. Turning back around, Scott saw that the girl's home was actually a boat, a house boat.

The boat house looked like a couple of mobile homes seamlessly connected together on pontoons. Towards the front there was an empty deck overseeing the lake with several lawn chairs facing outwards onto the surface of the water, the same black cat from before sleeping in one of them. Above on the roof was a number of solar panels, covering at least half of the top deck. The houseboat itself was painted a bright red with the word 'Ariel' written in bright gold to its side.

What kept the floating home from drifting off was a sturdy if worn line attached from both ends to a wooden post on the field just beyond the lake. Looking to his side, his eyes now focused, Scott could see that maybe a mile down the shoreline was one of the public swimming areas of the lake and a large park behind it. In the public area was a house with a balcony built into the man made hill, its pillars stretching down into the sands of the beach with people going in and out of it.

"Huh, what did I do last night?"

Scott wondered as he slumped out of the shallow water and made his way up the hill. Making it to the top, Scott saw a road and the buildings of the city behind it. Scott sighed in relief, but before he could take a step he heard mumbling to his side. Turning to the noise, Scott saw that further down the shoreline from where he was before was some guy in a moss green robe and a patched up cap with some fake fuzz hanging off his face standing a few feet in the shallows of the lake.

Squinting, Scott could see the strange man pull out what looked like a book from the inside of his robe and a stick from one of his sleeves. While Scott couldn't make out any words the robed man was saying, he could see the weirdo flip through the book as he waved the stick into the air.

"Nutjob."

Scott shrugged as turned back to the road, but stopped himself when he heard cheering. Looking back down, Scott could see the weirdo jumping for joy with a large smile on his face as he stared down at the water. Squinting again, the hungover thief saw some movement in the shallows just beyond where the robed man was standing. Though Scott couldn't make out what was causing it.

Suddenly half a dozen fish jumped out of the shallow water and pounced on the robed man. Most bounced off but a few managed to bite onto the robe. Either way, the weirdo was caught off guard and fell backwards into the lake where even more fish jumped out and pounced on him. The robed man quickly jumped out of the lake and on land, fish still jumping for him, before running off into the field soaking wet with a few of the fish still holding onto his robe by their teeth.

"What did I drink last night?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Like everything in the city that's on a tourists bingo card, the historical district was attached to the lake. The name itself for the district was actually taken from the native tribes that lived at the lake when the old world European settlers finally made it far enough in-land to meet them. Specifically when the colonists asked the locals about the lake.

The answer the settlers received actually made no sense in either the local native language or in English when it was finally translated long after it already made official. Something like swimming bear or crazy cod. Historians claim that when the original settlers asked the tribes, the locals didn't understand and just winged it. Kinda like when settlers asked the natives in Australia about the man sized hopping animal with a pocket on its gut.

Inside of said lake was a series of old wooden sail boats secured heavily to a number of specialized docks. Each one of the boats were old, some more than others. Each with a different design and purpose. A podium with a small bronze plaque stood in front of them explaining their history.

Next to the exhibit fleet, just down the lake were rows and rows of poles hammered into the ground with buoys floating next to them. The poles were attached by ropes. Each one tied to a plastique cage just under the surface in the murky grey water. This of course was the city's famous original oyster farm. At it least said so on the plaque. The city itself had more than a few oyster farms, but this was the only oyster farm still found in the lake itself.

Outside of the lake on the concrete walkway overseeing all of it were stands and gift shops set up in between a number of connected museums. The stands and shops themselves had faded, muted colors. Mostly shades of blue and grey. They all had overpriced assorted nick-knacks supposedly about the history of the city. Mostly about the original native tribes, the wildlife, shipping companies that turned the then middle of nowhere settlement into a place worth coming to. Though strangely enough, not one was selling oysters.

Just walking down the sidewalk, there were oodles and oodles of tourists from loners, some families, even groups in matching marked T-shirts and backpacks walking around. Scott's eyes darted back and forth as he looked for his target, keeping pace as he walked. Scott smiled as he found his mark. An older man in jean shorts, blue-striped polo shirt, and white headband was walking his way talking on his phone. As he passed, Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out an old worn leather wallet and slid it into his own as he went on his way. Scott smiled at his prize, doing his best not to look back to check if he was discovered.

"Hot dogs!" A large blond kid with a green Maple leaf hollered standing next to a portable food stand. The stand itself had a pig with a hot dog in its mouth. "Hot dogs. Come and get your hot dogs here. How about you, fine sir. Would you like a hot dog?"

"Hmmmm..." Scott smirked as he bent over and took a whiff of the cart. Standing up, Scott took out the wallet he just stole. "That's some great rat droppings you got. How long they been soaking, weeks?."

"Wha? Ewwww-I..." Owen trailed off, twiddling his fingers as his eyes flipped from side to side. Checking to see if anyone heard him. Scott's smirk only grew as he saw Owen pull the first couple of hot dogs from his cart's display and hand them to him. "Take these and go. Free of charge."

"Pleasure do'n blackmail with ya."

Easily scarfing down his prize, Scott looked at the building to his side. It was fairly large and made of old style blood red and brown bricks with a worn and faded teal tiled roof. In the wall itself next to the front door was a bronze plaque stating it was built in 1900. The only thing new about it was the glass revolving door. The sign above the door, read in faded bronze _New Pearl History Museum_.

Walking inside, Scott saw that aside from a few cased displays and assorted paintings nothing hid the exposed bricks that matched the outside. Above was a sun roof that filled the Museum with light, even if it was a forecast sky.

In front of him, Scott found a tour group consisting of a bunch of kids with at least one parent each. All with matching marked and colored T-shirts. Though there were a few stragglers who just joined the group. Two of which were a couple of twins in light blue hoodies. Scott ate the last of his hot dog as he walked up to the group.

"Now then everyone,"

The tour guide announced as she led everyone to the very middle of the room. In the center was a glass casing of a worn bronze statue. It was of a high class early 18th century man. He had a long ponytail that grew into his side burns and down into a beard that reached to his chest. The man himself was wrapped in an expensive looking double breasted suit for the time.

"This is Thomas Daniel Anderson. He was the founder and first mayor of our fair city. Originally a proud owner of a modest shipping company in the great lakes. But around the war of 1812-"

"Jay. Micky." Scott greeted his brothers as he walked up to the group, whispering so only his brothers would hear. Instantly, the two nearly jumped out of their skins from fright and surprise. Scott was prepared as he covered the twin's mouths before they could scream. Quickly the twins settled down when they saw him. "Easy jumpy. Come on, you're coming with me."

"Scott?" Jay asked as Scott pulled him and his twin brother away from the tour group. "Where are you taking us?"

"Papi said I had to watch you today." Scott explained as he let go of his twin brothers before turning a corner. "He didn't say that I had to be bored to death by being in this dumb tour group."

"But we already paid for it." Mickey explained, holding up his ticket stub. "And they don't give refunds."

"Of course they don't."

Scott sighed as he turned another corner, finding himself in a fairly busy food court of the museum. Looking around the number of fast food places between the usual sandwich shops, public buffets, and off brand Chinese food joints. Soon enough Scott smiled as he found his target. Sighing again, Scott dropped his smirk as he turned back to his brothers.

"Look I'm not happy about this either, but we're stuck together." Scott answered, letting go of his brother's hands. "I'm hungry so we're getting lunch."

"Ohhh, good idea. We're getting close to the _red line_ , a bit longer we would have become hypoglycemic."

Micky whimpered as he looked at his watch. Scott could see that it had an emergency contact number imprinted at the side with a red cross as part of the design in the clock part of the watch. Several red zones were placed specific time periods, hours apart. Scott squinted when he saw his little brothers pull out a couple big energy bars from their hoody pockets, each with a red cross on the sides of the silver wrapping.

"Where do you wanna sit?"

"Nah-uh." Scott answered, grabbing the bars from his brothers. "They're for emergencies, and expensive. You're eating real food."

"B-but, we can't eat... _here_." Jay whimpered as he pointed to the nearest buffet. Specifically, the number of people who where using the same tongues and utensils for picking up the food. All before moving on to the garbage can next to the buffet that was clearly close to overflowing.

"Yeah. I remember what happened last time." Scott rolled his eyes before walking around his brothers and pointing them both to the far left. To the very edge of the food court. "So we're eating there."

Unlike the rest of the food court, which were really just a series of stands where people got to look under a glass plate and point out what they wanted on their tray. The restaurant Scott was pointing to was actually a room built into the building where people got to walk in. Outside the restaurant, was a large sign on top that read in bright gold _Lost_ _Treasure_. Outside on the walls were a few black Jolly Rodgers with the famous skull and crossbones. A couple of open treasure chests but with clams and oysters instead of gold coins. There was even an old privateer mascot wearing buccaneer boots, puffy shirt, an eye patch, and of course a hook for a hand holding a hot dog being eaten by said mascot. There was even a word bubble that read ' _shiver me taste buds'_.

"Wha..."

"Come one guys." Scott creased, bending down so his head was between those of his brothers. "Of all the things you can't do, haven't you once thought of eating in a pirate themed restaurant?"

"Uhhhh, no." Micky slowly shook his head, with Jay nodding with him just as slowly. "Not really."

"Any time we think of a boat, we think about how they always rock from the left to right to left to-"

Jay's words became weaker and harder for him to pronounce, his face became a faded shade of green right up until he slapped a hand over his mouth and swallowed hard. Mickey wasn't so strong and actually ran to the nearest garbage can and all but jump into it before shrieking a large heaving sound. Of course the garbage can was the same one next to the buffet they pointed at earlier. So the crowd next to it let out cries of disgust before walking away.

"Ugggghhhh, you guys are killing me." Scott groaned as he walked over to his brother, pulling him out of the garbage can and patting his back. "Well its not a boat. Real place on land. Its real food and anything that cheesy has gotta to be cheep. So we're going."

"Okay."

Mickey wheezed, quivering for a moment before all three brothers walked over to the pirate restaurant. When the Low brothers did they instantly saw that the cheesy pirate decorations outside where just a tame add by comparison.

The interior walls looked like the hull of a ship with wooden beams reaching up from the ground to the ceiling. The support beams all had secured white sales. On the walls were adorned paintings and pictures of famous pirates and ships, or at least famous actors and sets of ships from movies. In-between them was the famous Jolly Rodger. The tables were arranged in a long row that made the place look like it was part of a large feeding galley.

The booths all looked like ships with a sign that numbered what dinghy they were. At said dingy booths, instead of a picture or Jolly Rodger was a plaque holding what looked like real treasure. Such as an old jewel encrusted silver or gold chalices. Small bowls filled with old shiny coins of the same type. Even a few plaques adorned on the wall with rusted and worn flintlocks and cutlasses. Looking to his side at the entrance, Scott saw two barrels. One filled with rolls of paper marked _maps_. The other was filled with wooden cutlasses marked _swords_.

"Hello ya'll."

Scott's head shot to his front and saw a girl standing in front of him. She had on the same outfit the pirate mascot outside of the restaurant was wearing only wearing a tricorne hat with a large feather sticking out along and a leather vest. Though the eye patch was missing.

"Welcome to the new Nassau galley. My name is Sugar. I'll be your waitress this afternoon. If you'll please fallow me I'll take you to your seat."

As Sugar guided them to one of the many dinghy booths, Scott took one last look around for his target but it was hard. There were so many nick-nacks and doo-dads Scott couldn't tell what was real and what was plastic. The thief sighed as he and his brothers took their seats in the boat looking booth.

"Here are the menus. I'll come by later for your order. Would you like any drinks?"

"Um, actually we have some questions about the food." Micky asked, flipping through the pages of the menu. "Me and my brother are allergic to milk, peanuts, and wheat."

"Double for eggs, soy, and shellfish." Jay continued, flipping through the laminated pages almost in a panic.

Scott rolled his eyes before looking over to the waitress in the ridiculous outfit. Scott could see that she was blonde and couldn't be any older than him. Not unlike the girl he woke up to earlier that morning. But he also saw that she was a bigger gal and probably weighed twice as much as he did. If the evidence of the waitress uniform barely holding itself together on her was anything to go by.

"My brothers are basket cases. They'll just have water and ah-" Scott shrugged as he opened the menu. Looking through the pages, each one was a laminated regular white page with the names of the meals with tiny pictures of the food next to them. All of which sounded like tortured puns and pirate themed. "Couple bowls of... _dead man fingers_. That, that just sounds-Hmmm, _juicy_."

"Thank you, sir." Sugar nodded, clear relief in her voice as she grabbed the menus. "They'll be ready soon."

Scott sighed as the waitress walked off, though he did notice how the buccaneer pants Sugar was wearing hugged the larger gal. Almost looking like tight striped leggings. Scott nodded, silently admiring how her behind and legs looked good in them as she walked away. Looking to the inside wall of the booth, Scott saw the treasure plaque for his dingy. It was an old golden chalice with a few rubies around the center. Touching it, Scott could tell it was real metal and jewels encased in some type of clear synthetic material keeping it in place.

Turning back to his brothers, Scott saw Jay counting his ECB's on his wrist while Mickey was having a slap fight with the air as he tried to hit a fly. All his swings about a mile off. Scott rolled his eyes as he quickly checked out all the plaqued treasure on the wall of the booths but couldn't see all of them from where he was sitting. The ones he could were not his target. He needed a better spot.

"Hey guys," Scott greeted before squishing the fly on the table with a loud slap, grabbing his brother's attention. "While we're waiting for our food, I think its time for your physical therapy for the day. Theme, hand-eye-coordination."

"But according to our schedule, we're supposed to be doing strength exercise today." Jay explained as he pulled out a small square piece of paper from his pocket and unfolding it, showing his older brother a calendar of the month. "Today is squats and crunches."

"Yeeeeah." Scott groaned annoyed as he grabbed the schedule out of Jay's hands before just shoving it into his pocket. "Today we're doing hand-eye stuff and I see the perfect way how to do it."

saw an old kiddie game at the far end of the restaurant

Looking to where their brother was pointing at, the adversity twins saw an old kiddie game at the far end of the restaurant. It was a large black board nailed to the floor with plastic hooks placed randomly on it. To its side were rows of differently colored rings filed onto a few cones.

"You guys go do that, I'll come get you when the food is ready." Scott ordered as he slid out of the booth, but saw his brothers sat where they were staring at each other. "Now."

Scott smiled as his brothers all but jumped out of the booth and practically ran to the other side of the restaurant. Walking over to the front entrance of the place, Scott went to one of the barrels and pulled out a couple of fake swords. Scott turned around to check out the place again, but stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes spotted the front of the service counter of the restaurant.

The service counter wouldn't look out of place in a regular diner. It was about chest high, stretched the length of the place, and had stainless steel stools bolted into the floor. What made it different was the black Jolly Rodger and other famous pirate flags decorating the entire side. That and the large wooden plaque with two rusted steel cutlasses hanging on nails and crossed under a fake skull right in front of the entrance.

" _What's her face_ _must'ah blocked it._ " Scott whispered, laughing under his breath as he walked up to the service counter. Scott did his best not to eyeball his target as he sat down on the nearest stool. His wooden cutlasses leaning against the counter and the plaque.

"Hi."

"WHOA!" Scott spat as he almost fell off his stool. Regaining his composure, Scott saw a small and skinny blond boy standing behind the service counter in an apron.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I have to stand on a box to talk to people back here." The kid answered as he pointed below him. Bending over the service counter, Scott could see the kid was right. He was indeed standing on a small wooden box just for his shoulders to reach the top of the counter.

"I-Its fine. Ever thought about getting an extendable chair or something."

"I asked about that, my dad said it doesn't look professional." The kid answered, pointing behind him through the service window showing the kitchen. In it, Scott saw an older man with faded blonde hair at the grill flipping what looked like beef patties. "My name's Dwayne Junior."

"But a kid stuck standing on a box to do his job is professional?" Scott sighed as he waved back to the kid. "What can you tell me about this place Junior? Are those... I-is that stuff real?"

"Those things on the plaques in each booth? A few years ago when I was little, my family went on vacation and found some old pirate booty when we snorkeled... _Booty_. "Junior laughed. "Anyway, we made a lot of money off'em selling to collectors. What we didn't want to sell we made it part of the place."

"Really?" Scott asked, rubbing his chin. "That's neat. You think that's why its here instead of like the boardwalk. It'd fit in just fine over there. But a museum? Sticks out like ah... ruby on a golden cup."

Junior shrugged as his answer, but before either knew it both were interrupted by the loud alarming sound of glass breaking. Scott tried to hide his smirk as he heard Junior gasp. Turning to his side, Scott saw that the kiddie game he sent his brothers to play with had some how been knocked back and smacked the window of the wall behind it.

"What happened!" The older man ran out from behind the kitchen to the back of the service counter and started padding against Junior's apron. His voice clear worry. "Junior, are you okay."

"I'm fine dad." Junior answered, pointing to the black board. "Its them."

"I-its okay." Jay announced, clear fear and embarrassment in his voice as he grabbed hold of the side of the black board. "We can fix this."

"W-we can d-d-do t-this." Micky stammered as he pulled a few of the hooks in the black board with all his might. The hooks quickly popped out of the black board and sent Micky falling hard to the ground. That wasn't all, apparently that was enough force to pull the black board from the wall and it came tumbling down over the fallen twin. Scott shrugged as he saw that the hooks kept the black board from crushing his brother. "Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!"

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh! Sugar, help me with this." Dwayne Sr. ordered as he jumped over the service counter. Scott was forced to back up when Dwayne Sr.'s foot got caught on the counter, tripping the fry cook, forcing him to land on his face. Dwayne quickly got back up and ran over to the twins, Sugar not far behind him.

"I'll get the first aid kit." Junior announced as he ran back into the kitchen area of the restaurant.

"You do that."

Scott grinned as he knelt down and took off his duffel bag. Scott slid off the rusted cutlasses from the plaque and replaced them with the wooden swords he swiped from the barrel. Quietly sliding his prizes into the bag, Scott silently walked out of the restaurant as Dwayne Sr. and Sugar lifted the black board off his brother.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a cool dark night over the bright metropolis. It was hours after sunset, with dark and heavy clouds blacking out the stars and the moon this night. On a deserted back alley road leaving the city, the only source of light came from a bicycle head light as it raced down the black top.

On that bike was none other than Scott Low, the prizes of the day in the duffel bag on his back. His legs getting tired, Scott pulled his bike over to the side of the road. Scott turned off the bicycle light as he pulled out a pack of smokes from his pocket. Putting one in his mouth, Scott sighed in relief as he pulled out his lighter. As he took a breath a large van cruised past him on the road, paying him no mind.

As he put his lighter away Scott heard a screech. With just enough light to see the silhouette of the van, Scott saw the blocky vehicle twist and swerve on the empty road right up until it flipped over onto its side. The scream of the van's sheet metal against worn pavement of the road made the thief's heart stop. Finally the van stopped, laying diagonally on the road, no sound but the squeak of its spinning. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air.

The tense peace was shattered when a gun shot blasted off fallowed by one of the windows on the van cracking. Scott couldn't tell which one. The van rocked back and forth for a short bit, clear cries of a struggle were happening inside, fallowed by more gun shots. But then everything stopped. Nothing but another tense silence.

Suddenly, the back doors of the van were kicked wide open. In the near blank darkness, a dreaded silhouette of a very large and muscular man stepped out. While Scott couldn't see anything about this man, he could hear the sound of rackity chains clanking with every move he made.

Seeing all of this, Scott froze as perfectly still as he could. Every breath was as slow and quite as he could make it. All but begging that he be unnoticed and ignored by the silhouette. Instead, the silhouette froze. The clanking stopped as the shadowy form stood up tall and turned toward Scott. The silhouette stood still for a moment before it raised its arm to thief's side. Scott winced as a round was shot off, the bright flash of the gun erupting from the silhouette's hand, before it pointed directly at Scott. Scott's heart was beating a million miles a minute as he saw the silhouette walk toward him, the clanking of chains fallowed with every step, his arm still aiming at Scott's chest.

When he made it, Scott had just enough light to see him. The shadowy monster was a man. A prisoner if his bright orange inmate fatigues said anything. The prisoner's arms and legs were bound by a glistening chrome chain. His face was hard and angry. Made up of a thick Unibrow, a 5 o'clock shadow beard with a trim buzz cut for his black hair, and a scar running down his left cheek. But what really scared Scott, was the pistol aiming at his chest. Held in the prisoner's hand, his only hand. His other arm had only an empty stump.

Seeing all this Scott finally understood why the escapee found him. The light of the smoke in his mouth. Scott bit down hard on the filter, anger at himself boiling in his chest. The escapee smiled at Scott as he slid the pistol under his arm to steal the smoke and taking a puff.

Scott instantly took a break for it. By instinct alone, Scott whipped off the duffel bag and tossed it hard into the grassy pitch black ditch to his side as he kept on running. Scott stopped in his tracks as he heard gun shot go off and turned back around.

"Come back here." The prisoner ordered, the thief had no choice but to fallow. Stopping where he was standing before, Scott looked down and quivered when he saw the pistol pointing at his chest again. "You're pack is gone."

"W-wh-wha..." Scott's head shot up to where he heard the prisoner's voice. The light from the smoke was just enough to see his face as he gave a lop sided smile back down at Scott.

"I was shooting blind kid. Was it really worth risking your life for?"

Scott saw the inmate tilt his head at him. The thief could only bit his lip for an answer. Scott saw the prisoner shake his head before breaking the chains to his arms in a grunt then proceeding to shoot the chain connecting his ankles with his stolen pistol. Scott winced at this and fought the urge to run again as he saw the inmate stretch with his newfound freedom.

"That's better, now give me your phone." Scott heard the inmate order, the cigarette all but burnt out. Scott handed him his phone, and the prisoner dropped it on the ground and stomped on it hard."Good, now i want your smokes."

The thief only shrugged as he handed the prisoner his entire pack and lighter. The old cigarette officially out, the eldest Low brother could only hear ruffling sounds before he could see again as the new smoke was lit. With it, Scott could see that the pistol was slid under his stubbed arm and the pack of smokes in his free hand. At this sight, Scott knew that even without a weapon, through pure strength alone this man could kill him. Judging from how big he was, the inmate was at least a foot taller than him with an added hundred pounds of muscle.

"You're involved in something kid." The prisoner said, puffing his smoke at Scott. "I can see that. So here's some advice from an old vet. If you're gonna stay where you are, you better grow a pair of balls. Because if you can't talk when you're being threatened you won't last too long. Lucky for you I'm nice. I'm taking your bike." 


	4. Iron man

Summer

Chapter 4- Iron man

It was a damp mid-morning in the grand gloomy city. The Sun was nowhere to be seen in the dark overcast sky. Light mist covered and obscured everything in sight with patches of rain falling from the sky on the soaked ground below. While there was still the normal hustle and bustle anyone would expect from a large metropolis, the loudest sound anyone could hear were the lighting strikes shooting off what seemed every few minutes.

In the lower south west part of the grand lake, several fishing boats where far enough out into the water to get their catch of the day, but close enough that they never lost sight of the docks leading to shore. The docks themselves were as busy as ever even with the fishing boats gone. As a number of leisure boats were secured waiting for tourists, more than a few stands selling nautical gear and nick-nacks, along with a houseboat here and there.

The houseboat closest to the shore as the dock would allow was a bright red beauty kept afloat by pontoons. All of its doors, windows, blinds, and even its gates were closed. The only part that was open was the observation deck, and it was kept dry by the extended collapsible roof.

On the observation deck was a young woman with teal colored hair in a bob cut sitting on a stool with a pencil in her hand, a canvas on a tripod in front of her, as she eyed the dreary lake beyond. Gwen squinted at the lake as she licked the tip of her pencil. Sketching best she could from what she saw over the mist shrouded lake before the canvas itself shifted to its side, scraping a line through her art. Gwen was confused before she heard a purring sound from below.

Looking down, Gwen saw a familiar black cat rubbing against the canvas's leg, its deep blue eyes staring up at her. Gwen smiled at the tom cat as she tried to shoo it away. The cat shifted its tail and walked up to just in front of the artist and started undulating at the ground fallowed by loud hacking. Gwen backed away and shook her head as the cat spat out a hair ball.

" _Bah!"_

"O-oh, come on Missy!"

Gwen spat back at the cat who just ignored her, licking down her front leg. Gwen groaned again as she grabbed her canvas and stormed into the houseboat. Locking the door behind her and trapping the cat outside. Rolling her eyes with a sigh, Gwen walked into the living room, doing her best to avoid the old furniture in the small cramped living room. Making her way into the kitchen, Gwen scanned the room for the outlet of her disgust. Sitting at the wide party booth bolted into the wall between two cabinets was none other than Bridgette Merrow.

Bridgette herself looked like the older sister everyone wishes they had growing up. She was athletic and had the kind of curves that would give guys neck injures whenever she walked past them, but not the kind that made other girls hate her at first glance. She had a real tan people only get from being out doors and the type of face that whenever she smiled she lit up a room. Bridgette wasn't just physical, she had the kind of brain and common sense that seemed to have advice for every problem, but also modest enough with a good sense of humor that made people want to hear it.

Bridgette herself was sitting cross legged in the booth seat, an old silver laptop sitting open in front of her next plate filled with hot pockets. The lifeguard was wearing comfy looking blue and white plaid sweat pants, a matching blue tank top, and her golden hair tied back in her usual pony tail. Gwen glared at Bridgette as she leaned her canvas against the sink across from the booth. Gwen tried to keep up her angry look but Bridgette's look of surprise and mouth full of hot pockets made it hard.

"Missy just barfed up a hairball." Gwen sighed, turning her gaze back to the door so she could keep her glare. "Almost got on my shoes."

"R-really?" Bridgette swallowed, looking at the same door. "Sorry, Missy was saving up for the twins. She doesn't like them. They're at a job interview right now... and since they're gone she settled for you."

"Huh, if I wasn't the fallback I'd be impressed by that cat." Gwen nodded as she ripped off the first page of the canvas, rolling it up before tossing it into the trash can at the end of the room. "Surprising and gross."

"You miss thos old movies don't ya?" Bridgette smiled as she pointed at the canvas, its page now revealing a crudely drawn sketch of a large bulky man with a hockey mask on his face with a machete in one hand and a human head in the other. There was some blocky buildings and trees in the background. The whole doodle drawn with nothing but sharp- deep edges and angles. "Let the series die."

"Huh? Oh that." Gwen shrugged as she slid into the booth opposite of her friend. "I got bored last week. I watched the movies so much that I tried fast sketching to keep it interesting. With how slow he walks... meh."

"Mom that worried huh?"

"Yeah." Gwen answered, snatching a hot pocket. "Whenever she was at work I had to be home to look after my brother. Wouldn't let the kid leave the house. Thank god for video games, kept him distracted and quiet."

" _Hah_." Bridgette barked. "You weren't the only one babysitting. It was the same with the twins. My aunt actually paid me to keep them in here until their interview. I love'em but I wish I had some time to be bored like that."

"Yeahhh, she wouldn't let me leave either." Gwen smiled sheepishly. "Had to sneak out my window to have any fun with anybody and get back before either woke up."

"I would'ah settled for seeing just one." Bridgette sighed, eating another hot pocket. "I got to see Geoff for a day after a week of babysitting only to get stuck with another round. But worse because we were cramped together with nothing to do. I couldn't even skype with him. Someone talks the whole boat hears it."

"Okay, point Bridgette. You had it worse." Gwen nodded, eating another hot pocket. "Sooo, you get five minutes to talk about how _great_ the party was that I missed."

"Uh-huh. You just want to know if me and Geoffy hooked up or not." Bridgette smirked. Looking away, Gwen could see from her reflection on the reflective mini-fridge that while her dull expression didn't change, her cheeks did. Changing from her usual pale to a light pink. "Well we did. I found him on cookout duty. After getting Lash to take over we went up to the locked guest room. Guess who had a key."

"Nice." Gwen nodded, her face heating up more. "How wasted were you two."

"Sober enough to play it safe. Locked the door and everythin-Oh my god. Is that how your face looked last time you caught me and Geoff? Its _so_ cute." Gwen bit her lip at her friends chuckles, covering her now bright red face in her hands. Bridgette smiled as she pushed the plate of hot pockets to her friend. "Is Trent helping you at work today?"

" _Yes_." Gwen mumbled, eating a hot pocket.

"Well maybe you could find an empty room that needs to be _worked on_." Still blushing, Gwen smiled back as she ate the last hot pocket. "You two'll do great."

"Hope so," Gwen nodded, checking the time on her phone before hopping out of the booth. "I gotta go or I'll be late for work."

"Hey, I'd help but I gotta head out for my shift soon." Bridgette waved, shutting her laptop as Gwen stepped out the door. "Look out for the serial killer. He might get ya!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Now the time is here. For Iron man to spread fear!_

The lyrics sang in Gwen's ears as she sat in the bus seat with her knees up against the back of the row in front of her, Gwen's duffel on the floor. Gwen's arm rested against the lining of the window to her left, while to her right sat Trent, who had his own headphones on.

 _Vengeance from the grave. Kills the people he once saved!_

Out the window, Gwen could see the many old blinking neon signs of the usual shops and bars of the familiar street. The bus stop next to the empty gas station was in sight just down the road. Sighing, Gwen turned and looked further up the bus and saw that aside from the group of people in front of them the bus was empty. The group sitting in the inward facing seat looked a bit weird. Now, strange people taking the bus wasn't anything special in any city, especially the kind Gwen lived in. But these guys were different.

It was a group of four, two guys sitting across two girls. One _very_ big girl, like professional basketball big, had a dark complexion while wearing a pocketed camping vest and short shorts blowing a piece of gum. The other was a muscular girl with asian features wearing a tight muscle shirt and compression shorts, her uni-brow flexing each time she curled the dumbbell in her hand. Across from them was a pale guy in a bright track suit and head band sound asleep, and next to him was a heavy looking dude with a milder dark complexion in a suit jacket over a hoody fidgeting on his phone.

While they all wore different outfits, at least one piece of their clothing was the same matching shade of blue. They all had a bang of strong B. O. coming off of them covered in varying levels of grime and some kind of green slime. Clear fresh bruises and scratches spread out over their bodies and clothes.

 _Heavy boots of lead. Fills his victims full of dread!_

'What happened to these guys?'

Gwen asked herself as the bus slowed to the stop at the curb, lyrics still blasting away into her ears. Feeling Trent nudge her side as he stood up, Gwen fallowed him past the group and off the bus. It still raining out, Trent opened up his camo printed umbrella for them as the doors closed. Rolling up her head phones as her song reached the drum solo, Gwen looked around and saw that the street around them wasn't nearly as deserted as the gas station next to them, with lots of traffic driving down the road and people drifting on the sidewalk.

"See, the bus is way better than a motorcyc-" The musician laughed. "Yeah, couldn't finish that with a straight face."

" _And,_ you've never even ridden one either." Gwen mockingly slapped Trent's gut as they walked. "Plus, free ride."

"Meh," Trent shrugged, crossing the street. "Another one, no weirdo's."

" _Right_!" The doodlist barked. "Did you see the shape of those guys?"

"I don't wanna think about it." Trent shook his head. "Not my problem.

"All their clothes matched. Navy blue." Gwen snapped her fingers. "Maybe they were part of a team. Fight club maybe? Nah, they would'ah had black eyes or something."

"H-hey, what's Josh having you do?" Trent asked, clearly eager to change the subject.

"Huh? Oh, well for some wacky reason he's closing down the theater for a while and making us clean it up. No extra pay, but half price movie tickets." Gwen explained. "Why he waited til now I have no idea. You saw how messed up it is."

"It still count as a date if we're both only paying one ticket between us?"

"Welllll," The doodlist rolled her L's. "We usually watch the movie together for free anyway. Sooo, nah."

"Either way," Trent shrugged, rubbing Gwen's back as they walked. "still worth it just to spend some time with you after a week."

"You say that now." Gwen half groaned, grabbing his hand. "We are cleaning up old garbage."

"I'm sure the smell'll remind me." Trent joked, tugging at his shirt. "Gonna have to burn these after we're done. I really don't want polio."

"Huh." Gwen smiled. "First the blanket and now your clothes. I'm worried the theater is making you a pyro. If it is, please don't burn it down til after I get another do nothing job."

"How much you complain about the place, pretty sure you'll do it." 

Instantly the couple saw the familiar Maple cinema, its worn blood red bricks completely ignoring the storm. The chipped sign next to it was covered with a piece of cardboard, its spray painted message was all but unreadable by the rain. The cars driving into the parking lot in front of the theater were all parked next to the waffle house to its right.

The couple walked silently over and through the parking lot and into the main entrance of the theater. Once inside the two found that the lobby had several bins on each side with varying levels of garbage inside them. Standing in front of the counter at the end of the lobby was Josh, Gwen's boss, this time wearing what looked like a freshly bought cold grey jump suit with his usual name tag pinned on it as he shifted through a clip board.

"Gwen, right on time." Josh greeted, disinterested as he flipped another page on his clip board before shifting a look at Trent. "This your extra hand?"

"Yup," Gwen eyed at Trent as he answered. His enthusiasm clearly forced, trying to look good in front of Gwen's boss. "Here and ready to clean."

"Tone it down kid. Its gonna be a long day. The only cheerleaders I want to hear are on a screen, my finger on the mute button." Josh deadpanned as he reached into his pocket. Gwen snorted at her boss's line and the surprised-embarrassed look on her boyfriend's face. Josh tossed a yellow plastic wrist band at Trent before he continued writing on his clip board. "That's good for half off on tickets for one week. Now, we're doing the upper floors right now. Mostly the projection booths. They're the main problem. We'll probably do down stairs later this week. Staci and Leonard are already here, each have a plus one."

"Those two seriously got others to help?" Gwen asked, skepticism dripping from her voice. "Who are they?"

"Weirdos, who do you think?" Josh shrugged, same flat tone. "The only one who didn't bring an extra was Zoey. Oh hey, speaking of."

Turning to look to where Josh was pointing was none other than Zoey Krieger. Zoey looked like the little sister everyone thinks the world of growing up. A bit younger than Gwen, Zoey had an adorable child like face, plucky brown eyes, and her smile made people just want to hug her. Clearly an athletic girl, Zoey had plenty of developing muscle and curves in her legs while her upper body was slender if a bit lanky. With what little time Gwen had been with the younger girl, Zoey always seemed nice and cheerful if a bit too eager to please.

Zoey herself was walking in from the hallway that led to the employee parking lot out back, dragging a plastic garbage bin on each arm. Zoey was wearing a crimson red hoody along with dark brown skinny jeans, her hair pulled back into a short pony tail. The doodlist gave a polite wave as she slumped the bins she was dragging over to the group of pales.

"Hey Zoey." Gwen greeted as the hipster girl walked over. Zoey gave a polite smile at the doodlist as she adjusted her trademarked flower in her hair. "Doing okay?"

"Uhh-"

"Nuff chit chat." Josh gave the girls a look. "Its not gonna be a fun day and we've got a lot to do. Both of ya, go upstairs and find a room that hasn't been cleaned out yet."

"Got it." The girls nodded, their tone sounding very practiced as they walked off to the closest set of stairs. Turning around the corner, the doodlist looked back and saw Josh absentmindedly scribbling on his clipboard. "Sooo, what'd we miss?"

"Well," Zoey sighed. "everything you saw down stairs was from booth A."

"You're kidding?" Gwen asked. "All that was from Lenny the larper."

"Yeah." Zoey answered, reaching the top of the stairs. "Leonard's room is actually why Josh started all this. There's this giant hole in the ceiling. None of the lights work. We're still not done with it. All those bags were just from the piles of garbage lining the room. I'm not surprised he's so crazy with how bad it smelled in there."

"Wow," Trent whistled as they walked down the hall of booths. The faint smell of old garbage mixed with ammonia in the air. "I thought we were slobs."

"We-wait." Zoey asked, stopping the couple behind her in the hall. "You two, in there... Really?"

"Zoey don't judge." Gwen glowered at the hipster girl, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Like you never took your boyfriend in your booth?"

"Ugh..." Zoey coughed, looking away from the Gwen's gaze as she rubbed her arm. "Well, its just- the smell alone in these rooms."

"Well we had some ah-" Trent coughed back, rubbing his nose. " _air fresheners,_ to help us get through it."

"Anyway, don't blame Lenny too much. The oldest expiration dates we could read went back a couple decades. We're still working on it but Josh wanted us to pick up the pace so now each of us are working on our own room."

Zoey explained, eager to change the subject as they made it to Gwen's booth. Opening the door the rotted smell of the room hit the trio like a wave of rot, with all three having to cover their faces just to breath. Flipping on the lights, the trio walked in with the piles of loose garbage lining all but a single path from the door to the projector and the desk at the end.

"Okay, so which part of this was furthest away from where you two ah..."

"Ugh," Gwen sighed as she pointed. "Over there."

The couple looked at each other blankly as Zoey walked over. Gwen and Trent quickly fallowed suit and started shuffling the trash on the floor into garbage bags they brought. This went on for a couple of hours, the already thin air getting stuffier and hotter in the cramped room as time went on. Ironically moving all the layers of garbage off the floor only aggravated the stench, which the opened door did little to help.

Tying up one last bag of garbage, Trent whipped the sweat off his brow as he slumped down in the old swivel chair. Gwen was right behind him and sat on his lap, leaning against his chest. Across the room from the couple Zoey was still shuffling another pile of garbage into a bag, the wrappers rustling around on the floor as she grabbed them. Wiping her hands with a towlette, Gwen squinted intrigued as Zoey fished out a large bottle from the pile.

"Hey guys." Zoey held up the old bottle to them, whipping off a bit of the grime and stubborn wrappers. "I think I found something."

"Huh," Gwen blinked as she and Trent hopped off the chair. Gwen grabbed the bottle by its neck out of Zoey's grasp. The bottle was fairly large, most of it full of clear liquid. What little remained of its original label was faded and unreadable. "What do you think it is?"

"How'd we never find it?" Trent asked as he pried open the cap and took a whiff, only to wince before closing it. " _Nah_ -i-it's strong."

"Its been laying in a pile of garbage for who knows how long." Zoey shrugged. "I'm gonna toss it with the bags."

"Hold on Zoey." Gwen pleaded, holding the bottle away from the hipster girl. "The bags are all gonna get tossed in the dumpster out back. We don't want any drunk hobo's lying around our cars, right? Me and Trent'll dispose of it right."

"Uhhh, okay. Well, I'm gonna take these down. I'll be back soon."

Zoey nodded, grabbing two of bags by the knots and heading out the door. Gwen tilted her head at the girl, as the doodlist could have sworn she hear the younger girl mumble something in Spanish. Gwen had little time to ponder the thought when Trent grabbed the bottle out of her hands.

"So, how long do you think Josh had this in here?"

"I doubt he even knew." Gwen squinted at the bits and strips of old paper still on the bottle. "Look how messed up the label is. Its probably been here for years."

"Who do you think put it here then?"

"Meh. Don't care. Its ours now." Gwen shrugged, before growing a naughty smile. "Hey, Zoey's gone and the other's are busy... wanna have some fun with the bottle."

"Fun and crazy." Trent nodded, growing a lop sided smirk. "But ah, the room is still pretty gross and the smell is actually worse. No blanket or anything this time."

The couple looked around the room for a moment, both silently cringed at the smell of the room as they took a breath. Looking at each other for a moment, Gwen smiled as she grabbed his hand and lead her boyfriend out the door. Trent stepped up so he was walking by Gwen's side, his free arm wrapped around the doodlist's thin waist before quickly sliding down to her tight behind in her black skinny jeans. Gwen smiled at this, and returned the favor with her free hand as she swung around to his front. Trent leaned down and kissed Gwen as she kept leading him the short ways down the hallway before her back hit the dead end wall. Stopping the kiss, their hands still over each other, Gwen reached over and grabbed the knob for the first booth of the floor and the only one they knew was clean.

The door creaked only a couple of inches in, the young couple stopped in their tracks, their eyes shot wide open from what sounded like a fog horn. Breaking away from each other, the two artists peaked into the dark room and saw what looked silhouettes of a couple of walruses laying on the wooden desk back of the room, flopping on top of each other. Opening it up just a bit for light, the image of Staci in only her hot pink sweat pants under a wider guy who looked like he glued a bean bag sized wad of hair on top of his head, fully clothed but in the middle of kicking off his shoes.

Both artists stood silently in the hall as Gwen quietly shut the door, shocked expressions on their faces a foot apart from each other. The only sound in the hall being the faint sound of horns, honking, and alarms coming from the booth next to them. Wiping off the tip of the bottle in his hand, Trent took a deep breath.

"Wanna go back to cleaning the room?"

"Oh yeah." Gwen nodded blankly, walking back to her booth. "Wanna shower in bleach and wear hazmat suits for a week?"

"Oh yeah." Trent answered back, opening up the bottle before blindly taking a swig. Instantly the musician spat out his gulp on the wall and winced. " _W-wow, b-burns_."

"O-oh boy." Gwen sighed, patting the back of the hunched over musician as he coughed. "Go back to the booth. I'll go get some bleach, or wipes, or something."

Gwen sighed as she walked away from her wheezing boyfriend, waving to her as he leaned against the wall. Dragging her heals as she slumped over to the broom closet, Gwen waited until she could no longer hear Trent's wheezing before she folded her arms and sighed again. Gwen was about to open her mouth but only bit her lip, the walrus image still fresh in her mind made her cringe. The doodlist stopped again as she heard another faint sound, words this time, coming from inside the broom closet just down the way. Walking closer, Gwen could make it out it was some sort of chanting. Instantly, Gwen cringed again. The image of a familiar moss colored gnome cap and green robe hitting the floor entered her mind.

"Oh, no way _Lenny_ is getting some too." Gwen groaned, making it to the broom closet. Her hand hitting the knob, Gwen heard a second more bellow voice join the chanting. "Oh you gotta be kidding me."

Gwen was about to knock on the old wooden door when suddenly the doodlist heard a loud boom coming from inside. Instantly a shock wave fallowed, causing the door to nearly pop off its hinges. Confused and scared, Gwen tugged the handle, but before she could blink the door bursted out, knocking the doodlist to the floor under it. Gwen couldn't see who it was exactly, but that it was a larger gal wearing green and brown covered in some sort of white goop as she ran over the door on top of the doodlist.

"Its real! Its really real!" The girl screamed as she sprinted down the hall, arms waving in the air. Just behind her Leonard hopped on top of the door in his full wizard garb, covered from head to toe in the same white gonk.

"Tammy wait!" Leonard yelled, running after her. "I have it under control."

Confused beyond reason, Gwen tossed the door off of her and stood up, neither of the two in sight. Turning to the broom closet, the doodlist saw that it was completely trashed. Every last bottle of bleach, soap, and chemicals were bursted open and their contents covering everything, its smell a hundred times stronger than any of the booths. The odor near unbearable, Gwen turned to leave but as she took the first step her foot caught on something and she fell flat on her face. Looking down at her feet, Gwen grabbed an old leather bound book, completely clean and goop free. Tilting her head at the book, Gwen shifted down the hall, holding her breath.

Heading back to her booth, Gwen looked down at the old leather book in her hands. The doodlist could see that it was completely clean on all sides, and not just from the chemical gonk from the closet. There were no cuts, scrapes, or stains on the old leather or any damage to any of the pages. It was completely clear and bare with nothing on it, even words. Curious, Gwen stopped as she opened the book and flipped through it, before she felt her eyes start to water. Wiping them, Gwen sniffed the air and found the same horrible chemical smell as in the closet, discovering that globs of the gonk had covered her shirt in patches.

"GAH!" Gwen huffed back to her booth, its door still open, close another bag before looking at her surprised. "Lenny did something stupid in the broom closet. The whole room is wrecked and in come kinda white slime."

"What?" Trent laughed. "Was he trying to make a potion?"

"Don't care, but some of it got on me. Strong stuff." Gwen explained, wiping her eyes. "I'm gonna go home and take a shower. If Josh has a problem with it he can blame Leonard."

"I'm gonna stay. I don't want you to get fired because of what some idiot did."

"Fine." Gwen shrugged. "But gimmy your shirt, I can't really wear this one home."

Without skipping a beat Trent took off his yellow shirt and handed it to the doodlist. Leaving the young musician in his long sleeved camo undershirt. Taking it, just as quickly Gwen took off her black Sabbath T-shirt in a huff before sliding on Trent's. The yellow shirt felt like it was two sizes too big for her and probably looked even more so. Gwen sighed as she jammed her now ruined shirt into her pants pocket as she noticed the blush on the musician's face.

"O-oh crap. I-I guess the fumes are getting to me." Gwen felt her face heating up. "Hope the peek made today worth it."

"It was way better than the other one today." Trent blushed, but his face instantly went blank fallowed by an awkward silence in the room. The image flopping walruses returned. "Uh-uh, nice sports bra..."

"S-sorry Trent. Moment died."

Gwen winced, turning toward the door. The doodlist smiled as she grabbed the bottle sitting on the chair next to the exit. Making back down to the empty lobby, the smell of old garbage and rotted wood still in the air, as Gwen heard the voices of Josh and Zoey in the open theater next to her. Wiping off the gonk from her skin with her old shirt, Gwen heard the creaking sound of the staff parking lot door open.

The doodlist shrugged at the sound, remembering how Lenny and his friend ran out, but a creeping feeling crawl up her spine. Then it hit her, the lack of mumbling about spells and wizards, which Leonard couldn't ever shut up about. Walking down the hall and peaking over a dark corner, with just barely enough light Gwen saw the silhouette of of giant of a man in a thick coat that did little to hide his mountain of muscle as he slowly walked closer. Her heart beating faster, Gwen raced back as quietly as she could into the theater she heard the others in. Spotting Josh and Zoey haul another set of garbage bags into a plastic bin Gwen clapped to get their attention.

"Some guy in a mask just came in and walking over here." Gwen all but whispered, clear panic rising in her voice. Zoey stared at Gwen silently as Josh stood still looking at the door for a moment before walking past her.

"Gwen, call the cops." Josh ordered, peaking our the door to the theater. Gwen and Zoey were right behind him, the doodlist felt the creeping feeling in her spine again as she saw no bars on her phone. "Go out the front door. I'll stay to get the others out."

The girls wasted no time and ran though the empty lobby for the open exit at the end, but before they were even half way there a black iron crowbar smacked hard against the floor not a foot in-front of them. Stopping on a dime, the girls froze where they stood before turning to where the crowbar came from. Half way up the stairs to their left, Gwen could see the man from before, his arm still stretched out too them from the throw. Now in more light, while still a giant of a man, was clearly wearing an all black outfit of fatigue pants, gloves and closed dark leather jacket. But what really stood out was the solid mesh mask over his face that gave off the appearance of a skull.

With the same hand he pulled out a pistol from his hip and pointed it at them as he slowly walked down the stairs. Terror filling her chest and her heat beating faster, the image of Gwen's mother and brother flashed before her eyes. Her home. Her friends. Then finally the thought of never seeing them again.

Everything stopped in the empty lobby as the sound of loud rustling echoed in quite room the from behind the desk. The masked man turned and pointed his pistol at the lobby desk, but his gaze never completely left the girls. A moment of blood chilling silence filled the room as the man walked closer to the desk.

"You behind the desk. Come out or I'll make you!" The masked man shouted, the tense silence continued as he stepped closer. "Look, I don't have to kill any-"

Suddenly Josh erupted from behind the desk, a sawn-off shotgun in hand and blasted at the fugitive, blowing the man mountain half a foot back and landing hard on his back. Covering her years where she was, Gwen felt herself take a nervous breath, almost feeling relief. It didn't last long and was replaced by sheer terror as the masked man stood back up and shot a few rounds at the desk. The fugitive fired another two shots as he ran for cover, limping on his side. Taking this as her que, Gwen grabbed Zoey's wrist and ran for the front door. But again like before, were stopped when several holes were blasted into the wood of the door and its window blasted.

"Go back into the theater and hide!"

Josh screamed as he blasted his second and last shot at the fugitive. This time it was Zoey who grabbed Gwen's wrist and both girls fallowed Josh's order. Making through the door just in time to see Josh reload his gun. Once inside, Zoey pulled Gwen to the right side of the room as it had the most garbage bags with plenty of places to hide. Making it to the middle row of the room and hiding between the chairs, Gwen pulled out her phone as both girls got down on their knees. The doodlist bit her lip before mouthing a curse at the no signal sign on her phone.

The doodlist almost dropped her phone and Zoey gave out a scared meep as another shotgun blast went off just outside of the room. A tense silence filled the air for a moment as the gunfire stopped. Suddenly the sound of a crash and smashing wood erupted exactly where the shotgun blast came from.

Gwen's eyes were shut hard as all she could think about was how best to stay hidden, when suddenly she felt a vice like grip around her body, so tight that the doodlist couldn't breath. Instantly Gwen opening her eyes and found Zoey huddled against her with her head crouched down. Even more, Gwen found that her own arms were wrapped around the younger girl, probably holding on to her just as tight as Zoey.

The two girls gripped each other even tighter as they heard the sound of a loud struggle coming from behind the desk just outside the theater before everything got quiet again. Peaking through the chairs, Gwen saw the masked fugitive walk into the theater, his gun pointed down as he looked around the theater, some fresh blood spattered on his hand.

"You two. Come on out. I'm not here to hurt anybody."The masked man shouted, adrenaline in his voice as he tried to catch his breath. While Gwen couldn't see his eyes through the black mesh mask, she could see his head shift from side to side as he slowly walked down the isles. Clearly looking for her and Zoey. "I will find you and i'll pull ya out if i have to. And since my good hand's busy, you're stuck with pointy. You won't like him."

'How did this happen?' Gwen asked herself, closing her ears tight. 'How did working in this run down trash bin get like this? How did i get caught up in this? All i want to do is blow off work, practice art and fool around with Trent and that bottle of booze we found...'

"I will find you two." The masked man announced before a bag of garbage was hurled into the middle row of the left half side of the theater. Spreading garbage everywhere. "Make it easier on all of us and just come out."

Peaking through an opening, Gwen saw the masked man walk down another set row of chairs as he picked up another bag of garbage with his hooked hand. Taking a deep breath, Gwen took out the bottle in her pocket along with her ruined black Sabbath shirt. As Gwen twisted off the cap, she noticed the confused look on Zoey's tear stained face. Gwen was about to open her mouth as a sack of garbage landed right next to them only a few chairs down. Gwen was just barely able to slide in her old T-shirt into the bottle before Zoey squeezed her again.

"You're boss is still alive." Another bag of garbage crash landed in the center isle of the theater. Letting go of each other, the girls crawled to the end of the row. Out of the row of chairs, Gwen typed up her plan on her phone and showed it to Zoey. The red headed girl's tear stained eyes lit up in surprise and life. "Just ruffed him up a bit."

Each step the masked man took sounded like thunder against the cluckered and shipped floor in the theater, the terrifying sound only rivaled by Gwen's heartbeat as she tried ignite the shirt fuse of the bottle in her hand. But the zippo just refused. Anger and fear building in her chest, Gwen kept on as she saw the terrified Zoey at her side grab a brook and kick off the brush from the stick before taking deep breaths. The doodlist was scared and confused beyond reason as Zoey stood up for everyone to see before she ran down the side of the room to the bottom center stage of the theater, broomstick in pointed at the armed man mountain intruder.

Peaking through the chairs again, Gwen could see the masked man tilt his head at the shaking girl at the end of the room. His pistol still pointed up, the masked man walked down the left walkway, his gaze shifting from Zoey to the chairs each time he passed a row. Leaning against the side of a chair and parallel to the row, the masked man missed Gwen as he walked by. Much to the doodlist's relief. Taking this as her cue, Gwen finally managed to light the fuse to the bottle.

"I used to work here. There's no backdoor in this room. What are you getting at kid?" The masked man asked as he finally made it to the bottom of the room. Standing only a few feet away from her, the masked man tilted his head again at the silent shivering girl, her broomstick still pointed at him. The man shook his head mockingly as he held up his pistol before waving around his hooked hand to his side. "I've got a gun kid, and more. Now, what can you tell me about-"

Before the masked man could finish his sentence, the gun was knocked out his hand by Zoey's broomstick and lost in the first few rows of chairs. Gwens' eyes were wide open in surprise and while she couldn't see it, the doodlist could tell the masked man was just as surprised. Zoey herself, while still visibly afraid, wasn't shaking nearly as much and her broomstick still pointed at him before she jabbed the masked man in the chest. The man stood still for a moment, silently looking down at the girl, before he slammed his hooked hand down against Zoey's broom stick and slicing it in two. Zoey yelped in surprise and fear, holding the two pieces of her improvised weapon, before the masked man punched her in the chest where she had hit him. Knocking her back a few feet and off the forgotten opera house stage.

Taking this as her cue, Gwen stood up and threw the improvised Molotov cocktail at the theater floor just in front of where Zoey was standing. Smashing open when it hit the floor and bright orange flames erupted mere feet away from the masked man who cursed in fear and surprise, then in pain as it quickly spread closer to him. The masked man distracted, Gwen ran up to the stage and hoisted the cringing Zoey to her feet. The fire quickly spreading to the old wood of the theater and the scattered garbage everywhere, Gwen pulled Zoey's arm over her shoulder and helped the coughing girl an herself out of the room as the masked man pleaded for help.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Blinding bright colorless light was shining, beaming into Gwen's eyes. A deafening white noise surrounded her, no other sound at all. As she breathed, there was nothing in the air. Hearing, sight, smell, even the sense of touch was lost. The silver lining, there was no worry. As all memory was gone too. The girl once known as Gwen Wallace was isolated to the world.

Then suddenly, the blinding light was gone and in its place was a freckled pale woman in her mid 20's who's complexion was barely more tan than Gwen's own. She had her long brown hair in a neat bun. The woman was wearing a white button down shirt with a name tag reading miles. Mile's Eyes behind her wire rimmed glasses focused on Gwen, her mouth was moving but the doodlist couldn't hear anything. A pair of brightly colored pair of gloves suddenly appeared in front of Gwen's face she didn't notice before with a small black flashlight in the left, the blinding returned.

On instinct alone, basically what Gwen was running on, swatted the flashlight out of her face and Mile's hand. Blinking hard, her eyes readjusting, Gwen saw the blank look on Mile's face staring back at the doodlist, her mouth moving. Instantly, the world opened back up again for Gwen Wallace.

Overwhelming sounds of police and emergency sirens were going off in all directions around her, blasts of rushing water was erupting to her side. Looking past Miles toward the sound, Gwen saw none other than the old Maple cinema. Its front door smashed open and cut to pieces, every window was open with smoke leaking through them and the walls themselves. Several high powered streams of water were being spraying into the building from the fire engines in the parking lot just from Gwen's view.

Looking back down at the front door, Gwen could a firemen in his full gear walking out carrying out none other than Josh himself with his partner holding up the rear. Gwen couldn't see if her boss was alive or not, only that he was wearing a neck brace and face was beaten and blue as he was being carried to an ambulance just down the parking lot, its lights still flashing. Behind them was Trent. Gwen instantly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Coughing as he was being led out of the burning building by another fireman, other than that he looked fine.

What wasn't fine was the image of Staci and that bearded afro guy from before in only their underwear being escorted by another pair of fireman, and strangely enough that same girl from before who ran out screaming from the broom closet. Still in the same white goop. Though, Gwen could see a pair of EMT's running over and covering all three in thick blankets as they walked away. But of course that left everyone's favorite oddball. Unlike everyone else who was escorted, Leonard himself was carried out by his fireman. Kicking and screaming incoherently at the building almost looking like he was trying to get back in the burning pile of timber. Certain death be damned.

"* _Ma...ma'ah..._ ma'am?"

Gwen's focus instantly shot back to Miles, and now having a good look, discovered that the white button up shirt was actually an EMT uniform. Not only that, but the doodlist was sitting in an ambulance, specifically the floor of it with her legs hanging off the open ledge. Miles herself was kneeling in front of Gwen with the same blank expressionless look on her face, her gloved hands snapping and waving in front of Gwen's own face.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" Miles asked, clear clinical concern in her voice. "You were unresponsive."

"H-how long?"

"About a minute." Miles answered, looking at her watch. "We were talking and you stopped. Are you alright?"

"U-um, yeah."

"Well we're taking you both back to the hospital to get looked over."

"U-uh, okay- wait, both?"

Some concern peeked out of the emotionless expression on Miles's face as she pointed down. Gwen looked and discovered that the doodlist was wrapped up in the same kind of thick blanket she saw the other EMT's wrap around rest of the staff. Not only that but Zoey herself was sitting right next to the doodlist, both girls still hugging each other inside the blanket. A mask of unresponsive fear was on the crying girl's face. The moment, the millisecond that fact was known in the doodlist's head, Gwen held Zoey a little tighter, which Zoey did the same.

"Listen, I know you're both scared right now." Miles rested a hand on Gwen's shoulder, rubbing it to try and give the doodlist some small amount of comfort. "Whatever happened in there, you're safe now. You'll be alright."

"I-I-I, I think I-we'll be alright too." Gwen nodded, tugging the blanket so Zoey had more cover.

"Yeah you will. We're taking you both back in the same ambulance."

Miles nodded as she stood back up, like before Gwen felt herself letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. Gwen took a sigh of relief as she looked back at the burning building and the firefighters doing their best to save it. But even from where Gwen was sitting, everyone could tell it was a losing battle. With all its history, that day included, Gwen didn't how to feel about that. The doodlist's gaze shifted back to Miles the EMT as she handed Gwen from the floor.

"We found this with you. Is this book yours?"


End file.
